A True Humanity
by Jadesfire2
Summary: it took five years for the dissaprearences to get public, but now when anyone can be a target (rocket and twerp alike) can you really be sure if what you see is real? Rocketshippy, bit twerpshippy, slight neoship. ch 2 and beyond are short. please r&r.
1. Default Chapter

"That's it, you're all loaded up," the man in a blue jumpsuit informed him. James tapped impatiently on the steering wheel, watching out of the window for the signal that it was all clear. He heard the loading ramp being folded up and the door to the cargo area of the truck being slammed shut. The man in the jumpsuit walked over to the window. "Locked up, safe and sound. Any idea what's in there?"  
  
"I just deliver," James told him, not meeting eye contact for he didn't want to be recognized. "I don't ask."  
  
"Ha!" came that annoying laugh in that awful voice. "I'll bet you didn't! You may just be the delivery boy, but any human being would be curious. I mean, I'm getting paid twice my year's salary just to load this up and keep quiet." Yes, James thought. Any human being would naturally be curious, and he was curious—but he didn't care. There was a fine line that divided caring and curiosity, and he was far on the other side. It seemed that he had lost his humanity all those years ago, when his heart had been ripped out.  
  
"Anyway," the man continued. "How could I have passed up such a big job?" he pointed to the red R on his suit, "it's not like I care about my current employment anyway. You know, James, there's no use pretending ya don't know me."  
  
James turned in his seat and glared at Butch. "What is it that you want exactly, Botch?" The teal haired rocket member's eye twitched at James's personal nickname for him but he stayed on his current track of mind.  
  
"How did you get out?" he asked, in all sincerity.  
  
"Simple," James said, turning around to watch for the signal once more. "I wasn't important enough to miss."  
  
Butch shrugged. "But you're not back, of course. The job from your mystery employer?"  
  
James nodded. "If I could have avoided it, I would have never come back here," he told him. By here, he meant the Team Rocket base he was parked in. "But like you said, nobody could pass up a job that pays this well." There was a long silence that James broke. "And I wanted to hit Team Rocket, and hit them badly. With the bounty on this cargo, whatever it is, it must be important to my ex-boss."  
  
Butch gave a sort of grin. "I see. They took something important from you, so you'll do the same, eh?"  
  
No answer.  
  
He tried again. "Look, James, I'll tell you the truth. I liked Jessie—don't look at me like that, I didn't like her that way—she had spunk. It was Cassidy that hated her. I don't know what anyone told you, but she disappeared almost immediately after you two were separated."  
  
James's fists clenched around the steering wheel. "She was assigned to a level five division. Their location is classified."  
  
Butch shook his head. "No, she wasn't, James. Trust me."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
Butch nearly swallowed his tongue to keep from yelling at the blue haired man. "Because Cassidy was 'assigned' to that same thing. About a month after you left. I got some 'Dear John' letter—and I bet you did too—but I did some checking—"  
  
"What are you getting at?" James hissed. His hand was in his pocket, clutching the letter Jessie had sent to him five years ago.  
  
"Let me finish!" Butch snapped back. "Anyway, Mondo may hate my guts, but you have no idea how cooperative he was when I said I thought Jessie was in trouble."  
  
"I don't care how much 'spunk' you think Jessie had; I don't see why you were checking up on her."  
  
"The cases when both our teams were split up were too similar for my taste. I had to look into it and see for myself, and Mondo wouldn't care about checking up on Cassidy, so I used Jessie instead. Do you want to hear what I found out or do you have something else to say, Jimmy?"  
  
James bit his lip. He wanted to yell at that…that Botch for calling him Jimmy. It only reminded him of Meowth, who had called him that. Meowth—another friend he hadn't seen in years.  
  
"That kid, Mondo, he's such a blasted innocent that he can get his hands on just about any kind of information—it's amazing really. Now of course he couldn't tell me anything about the level five teams, but he was able to get me a mailing list. It turns out, there were a lot of teams that were separated. One would get some big promotion, and his or her partner would be sent a letter like this one." Butch handed James a crumpled piece of paper.  
  
His eyes nearly left their sockets when he read the words.  
  
'Dear Butch,  
  
I'm doing well where I am, and I think it's time to let go of the past. I believe that I've changed, and for some personal reasons, I'm forced to tell you that we can no longer be friends. You gave me some good memories, but I have to move on now. Please understand.  
  
--Cassidy'  
  
It was the same.  
  
The exact same letter he had gotten from Jessie, except the names were different. "Please understand", those words had been haunting him all this time, and what had it been. A trick? Yes, a trick.  
  
Butch must have seen the look on his face, "So you did get a letter, eh?" James nodded.  
  
"What did they do to the girls? Jessie…and Cassidy, what happened to them?"  
  
Butch stared at the ground. "I don't know. Nobody seems to know. I've asked everybody I could without arousing suspicion. And I found out some other things. Jessie and Cassidy have some pretty deep roots in Team Rocket—deeper than you probably realize. They could have been eliminated for knowing too much. I cared about her—no not Jessie, Cassidy, you nimrod—and I want to know what the Boss did to her. I want revenge. But I also want to stay alive. I can't find out anything useful without risking my neck, and it's been five years. I've had to force myself to drop it."  
  
There came the signal—a red, blinking light from the bushes. All clear. James revved up the engine. "There's no way I could find out what happened to them either. I've lost most of my connections." He signaled to the cargo. "But I'll make Team Rocket suffer. I can't find out what happened to her, but she'll be avenged."  
  
Butch nodded. "The natives are restless. You didn't hear it from me, but there might be a mutiny in the Team. The Boss's head is mine, but I can't fight until there's an army to back me."  
  
James once again wondered what was in the cargo. It was obviously important, and hopefully the 'boss' would miss the thing. He was going to make that man pay for taking away Jessie. "Why are you being so civilized all of a sudden?"  
  
Butch shrugged. "I've lost my edge. I've lost my girl."  
  
James pushed on the gas, but called out the window, "You let me know if there's any news at all!"  
  
There was an acknowledging nod, and Butch vanished from sight. James was alone with his thoughts.  
  
It was going to be a long drive to Viridian, seeing as he was well into the Jhoto region at the moment. A lot of time to think.  
  
She hadn't left him. Jessie hadn't left him. The boss had done something, sent out that letter so James would get the wrong idea, but Jessie hadn't left him. It was a wonderful feeling. Even after he had read her letter, despite everything that he thought she had said, she was still his best friend. It was great to know that his feelings of comradeship were not one-sided after all. But what had happened to her?  
  
Was Jessie still out there? Was she alive? He thought about the possibility of her also being sent a letter, supposedly from him. What if Jessie was out there thinking he hated her? How horrible…  
  
What if-- *Whack! * the truck jolted as it hit a pothole on the bumpy, deserted road. Something in the cargo fell and James heard the crash.  
  
"Darn it!" would he still be paid if something were broken? He opened the door and stepped out of the truck. He walked stiffly around back, and opened the door to the storage area.  
  
There wasn't a big mess. A container of some kind of liquid had toppled over and the floor was wet with the contents. The only other thing out of place was that part of a metal container had fallen away; James noticed that the case had contained some large, glass apparatus, and he was thankful that it hadn't fallen. But he would still have to tie the thing down, for the road was pretty bumpy.  
  
The glass on the case was fogged and he couldn't see inside. It was a bit taller than he was, and the largest thing in the hold. Wires and tubes were sticking out from it and a buzzing sound emanated from the left side. Luckily it was bolted to the rest of the metal, so hopefully it wouldn't fall.  
  
Right now, James had the immediate problem of the wet floor. There was an old, dirty mop in the corner and James went for it. Midway, he slipped in the weird stuff on the ground, and his arms instinctively flailed out to help him keep his balance. James's hand landed on the glass container and he was able to prevent himself from slipping.  
  
Catching his breath, he stood up straight again, glancing at the glass to make sure he hadn't damaged it. He found himself taking a second look. His hand had wiped away some of the fog-condensation from the glass, leaving hand-shaped window where he could see through. He saw what he was sure were lips.  
  
James blinked a few times, and then swiped away some more dew from the glass so he could see what was inside. A person. Somebody was inside the glass, like some freakish coffin. But the person wasn't dead. Listening closely to the buzzing sound he had heard before, he found there was a pattern. Buzz buzz…buzz buzz…buzz buzz…. Always steady. A heartbeat. That warm, familiar, heartbeat that aligned with his own.  
  
James put his hand on the glass. "What did they do to you, Jess?"  
  
  
  
She was floating in some sort of strange liquid that gave her a green tint—she was, however, obviously breathing, but how? Perhaps all the machines had something to do with it. Wires, gears, and oddly shaped metal with questionable purposes lined the walls of the tank, inside and out. And they covered Jessie's body.  
  
There was a long strip of metal on the left side of her forehead with lights and strange buttons on it, as well as wires and tubes—perhaps that was how she got air. From what James could see, there was a similar strip going from the back of her right ear to her cheek. Similarly, there was another strip going almost around her neck, like a collar with the front cut off. There was probably more electronics on her, but seeing that would require James to wipe away more condensation from the glass. So far her shoulders and above were visible—and James knew if she were awake in the glass, she'd prefer it to stay that way, for from what he could see, she wore nothing.  
  
"Oh crap, what do I do now?" James panicked. She was alive—she was HERE, but she was in a tank. With wires, and buttons, and…gaah, he was going crazy! What was going on? And…and why was she supposed to be stolen from—kidnapped from the team rocket labs? And his employer… he wasn't sure what his name was, or who he was with, but he was sure giving James a lot of money to deliver Jessie.  
  
To deliver Jessie.  
  
How could he do that!? Now that he'd found her, how could he loose her again? Since she had gone, he was without a best friend. When Meowth vanished, he had no friends at all, and was so angry at the world he hadn't bothered to make new ones. And she was here. Jessie was back. Didn't that mean it would all turn out all right? Would they finally have success in something—she had always said so, after all.  
  
James began to search the metal casing for some kind of hatch that would open the glass and let her out. He found one, a small handle on the right side of the glass. It was locked, of course, but lock picking had always been his specialty. He grabbed a bent wire (he always had a few on him, just incase) and set to work. In no time at all the handle was unlocked, but as he was about to open it he had a thought.  
  
He had no idea what that machine she was hooked up to was, or what it did. What if he unplugged her, and ended up killing her by taking out her life support? Or what if they had done something to her, so she couldn't breathe outside the tank? James took his hand off the handle. He had to think, which was troublesome. He made plans every so often, of course, but he had usually followed around Jessie and Meowth. There had been Team Rocket to boss him around, and after that, his numerous employers who almost always had a plan for him to use.  
  
He was getting nervous and agitated—what was he supposed to do now? He couldn't think of a plan. There was no way he'd let anybody get their hands on Jessie, that was for sure, but how was he supposed to hide her? There was so much money on her pretty head…they'd be hunted down by every bounty hunter from Kanto to the Whirlpool Islands! Not good not good not good. It hadn't been very bad when Officer Jenny's had had arrest warrants for him—they still had warrants for him—because Officer Jenny's never took the initiative. They only went after criminals if they actually did something in the immediate area of a police station—never bothered to try and shut down team rocket, they only arrested a handful of members when they robbed pokemon centers and convenience stores. But bounty hunters were different, they would track you down, and they were, more often than not, merciless.  
  
Their only hope was that although every hunter knew about team rockets secret experiment, they most likely didn't know that the experiment was a woman.  
  
Still…there were a good number of criminals who knew he was shipping tonight, and he couldn't risk staying parked for long. Regretfully, he put the metal sheet back on the box so that it looked unopened, but shut Jessie inside. He'd go to the checkpoint where he'd be safe. It wasn't the delivery destination, so they wouldn't take Jessie yet, plus if he went there it would be less suspicious than if he didn't show up at all.  
  
It was simple. James's instructions were to take his cargo to Viridian City, but on the way he had to check in at a checkpoint in Newbark Town. There his cargo would be checked to make sure it was all there and secure. He could rest there, without the danger of bounty hunters attacking while he slept. It would be safer for both him and Jessie if they went there. In Newbark he'd be able to find help—somehow—and instead of Viridian, get those things removed from Jessie so they could live happily ever after.  
  
Those thoughts seemed to calm him, and he went back to the driver's seat and nearly went twenty over the speed limit in his haste to get to a safe haven.  
  
2  
  
"One of the canister's broken," said one of the workers at the checkpoint—a high-class restaurant that housed criminals in its upstairs property. It was considerably dark outside, for it was early in the morning, but this was when the cargo had to be checked, for in a few hours the food delivery trucks would come to bring ingredients for Le Cerebii's expensive menu.  
  
"I hit a pothole," James explained truthfully, then lied through his teeth. "I didn't notice anything had fallen, though."  
  
The worker grunted and began to examine the metal box. James stiffened, remembering the tampered lock on the glass case. If the box were opened it would surely be noticed… thankfully, the man stepped back, took one last glance at the cargo hold, and hopped down from the truck without touching the box. "That case'll be deducted from your pay, kid," he grumbled.  
  
James clenched his fists—twenty-seven years old and he was still getting 'kid' at every job. He also got 'baby face' a whole lot, because he actually bothered to shave. "Whatever. I expect that box is getting me the big bucks anyway," he said casually, trying to sound like it didn't matter.  
  
The man eyed him. "You didn't open it, did you? They'll check for prints in Viridean ya know."  
  
James waved a hand nonchalantly, "Relax, I didn't touch the thing. Orders were to leave it alone, right? And I want my money, so I just go along with it."  
  
"Right," the man agreed, and walked off. James cast another glance at the truck before going.  
  
"Ya wanna join me at that bar downtown?" he asked the worker.  
  
The man rolled his eyes. "Forget it, bud. I'm getting some decent wine from the restaurants storage."  
  
"Suit yourself," James shrugged, and walked off. He knew the man would not agree to go with him, and that was good. He just wanted the man to think he'd be out drinking, so nobody would be suspicious if he left Le Cerebii. If they actually wanted to find him, they would have trouble for there were a good many bars downtown anyway.  
  
James walked for a while, thoughts straying from this to that to this again—from Jessie to a plan for getting her out of danger to Jessie again. He needed help, but who could he possibly ask? Butch? No, he couldn't ask him. If he did, he'd have no ties back at the rocket base so if Giovanni found him there'd be no warning in advance. But who else was there…what had that Botch said? "Mondo may hate my guts, but you have no idea how cooperative he was when I said I thought Jessie was in trouble."  
  
Yes! Mondo! He could call Mondo, how could he not have thought of that? James rushed to the pokemon center to use the vid-phone. He couldn't make a call from anywhere near Le Cerebii without getting a taped line, but pokemon centers were always clean of wires.  
  
  
  
James was not able to get over the fact that Mondo was no longer a little boy, but seventeen years old. He was still Mondo, however. He was still innocent, eager to please, gullible, in fact the only thing different was that he had gotten taller—but only buy a few inches.  
  
He had greeted James with his usual excited stutter, "J-J-JAMES!? Is that you, Sir? I haven't talked to you in soooo long, are you well?" actually the kid was so excited it sounded more like this: "JJJAMESisthatyousirIhaven'ttalkedtoyouinsoooolongareyouwell?" but James found he was still, after all these years, able to understand Mondo.  
  
"I'm all right, for the most part. Actually I'm a lot better than I've been in a long time," he answered with a smile. It was true. Although he knew he was in trouble, he was still so happy to know that Jessie was back, safe, and that everything would be okay. Mondo always made things better.  
  
"That is good to hear, sir. Did my superior receive a new employment?" Modo inquired, smiling as always.  
  
"No, but I found Jessie," James told him, and smiled at the happy explosion from the other end of the line.  
  
"YOUDID?THATISSUCHGOODNEWSISSHEALRIGHTWHATHADHAPPENEDTOHERBUTCHSAIDSOMETHING WASWRONGMAYISPEAKTOHER?"  
  
James put his hands up defensively. "Hold on, hold on. She's why I need your help, and remember this can NOT get back to Giovanni." Mondo had been promoted to a high-rank secretary. He took care of all the paperwork that went into top-secret missions, employee statistics, booked Giovanni's schedule etc. Lines of such importance in Team Rocket were never tapped, for fear of the recordings getting into the wrong hands, so it was safe to tell Mondo everything about the strange tank and those machines on Jessie's body.  
  
The boy looked thoughtful after hearing the story. "You'll want my sister, then," he finally said.  
  
James's eye's bulged. "You have a sister? I didn't know that!"  
  
Mondo nodded. "She's a member of Team Rocket, but you don't have to worry about anything getting out. She is very attached to the doctor- patient confidentiality rule, and she's no supporter of Team Rocket either."  
  
"Sounds like an excellent member," James muttered sarcastically.  
  
"Well she was such an important member, that when she tried to quit, she was almost terminated. However, since she has this whole work ethic, she's the only doctor Giovanni actually trusts so he keeps her alive just in case he ever needs a doctor. She's a wonderful doctor too, and I'm sure she can help you."  
  
James thought of all those wires. If Jessie had seen her face covered in that metal, she'd have probably exploded in a literal sense. "But how can she handle machines?"  
  
"Quite well. Technology has far surpassed the scalpel—most medical procedures involve computers and so she is trained to work with them."  
  
James breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Mondo, I knew you'd come through." He was feeling quite pleased with himself as he left the pokemon center, address of a Doctor Miranda Kokuan in his hand. But then he bumped into the last person he wanted to see.  
  
"OW!" and yes, I did say bumped.  
  
He was on the ground, and there were voices above him. "Oh, gee," that was his first clue. Nobody said 'gee' anymore. "I'm really sorry mister, I wasn't watching where I was going, are you okay?" the second clue was an all too familiar "Pika" from near the first voice.  
  
"The Twerps!" James said on impulse, jumping up. But 'Twerps' wasn't an appropriate term. Ash Katchum was there, with pikachu, but nobody else. That made it Twerp, singular, and one annoying pokemon. There was no tall boy with spiky hair hitting on Nurse Joy, there was no overweight kid with a sketchbook, and strangest of all, there was no orange-haired girl with a temper like a mini Jessie.  
  
Just Ash.  
  
And then, Just Ash exploded.  
  
"WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN MISTY!?" he screamed at James, nearly going off balance. Nurse Joy looked over with a surprised expression, and watched them from her desk.  
  
"Eh? Who—oooh that girl twerp?" James asked. He'd never really taken the time to the twerps names, but since Ash announced who he was at every opportunity (I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!) James at least knew that kid's name. "I have no idea where she is."  
  
Ash was now at least up to James's shoulder, and he still wore that stupid hat. His clothes were exactly the same, but in a bigger size, and Pikachu looked no different than the last time James had seen it when he blasted off for the last time. There was something strangely comforting in seeing this old enemy of his—it reminded him that some things never change.  
  
"Don't even try it, I know it was Team Rocket who kidnapped her—I saw the police records!" a pile of papers was waved in James's face.  
  
He sighed in an agitated way. "Look, twerp, I haven't seen your girlfriend in around five years and I have my own problems to deal with," he glared at the boy, "and in case you haven't noticed, Team Rocket goes way, way, WAY beyond Meowth, Jessie and me. None of us are even on the Team anymore!"  
  
Ash lowered his arm full of papers. "Is that why you just stopped coming all of a sudden?"  
  
James sighed. He knew this kid wasn't going to let him go without answers, so he figured, why not tell him everything? If he really was the same twerp, he'd help James out, and even though he didn't like the kid, that Ash had a freakish way of always coming out on top and he could use that kind of luck on his side.  
  
Casting a look at Nurse Joy, who was still watching them, James grabbed the kid's arm and usered him through the sliding doors. "Come on, Twerp, I've got a story to tell you."  
  
After a great ordeal in sneaking Ash into the cargo hold, they were on road to Mondo's sister's place. James had been right, Ash was eager to help. He'd figured that maybe the disappearances were connected somehow.  
  
Apparently, they had been staying at a pokemon center in Beige City, and when Ash had woken up, Misty and Togepi were gone. Her backpack had been left, but the pokemon were taken from it. Lucky for Ash, his pokemon had been healing after a gym battle and had been locket up under Joy's supervision.  
  
They made the turn into the Ilex forest instead of the Viridian , and drove until there was no room for the truck between the trees, then proceeded on foot (pikachu had been left to guard the truck) to the cabin that belonged to Mondo's sister Miranda.  
  
Reaching the log cabin, Ash knocked on the door.  
  
No answer.  
  
James knocked.  
  
No answer.  
  
They both began to pound on the door until a distinct "SHUT UP ALDREADY!!" could be heard from inside. A girl like a feminine Mondo, dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, flung open the door and glared at them. "Oh, this better be good."  
  
Funny, James had expected someone related to Mondo to be more…pleasant. "Er, Dr. Miranda Kokuan?"  
  
"Not me," said the girl. "You're probably looking for me though."  
  
"Well then who are you?" Asked Ash. "Are you…uh…James's friend's sister?"  
  
She brightened a bit. "Mondo? You're friends with him?" she gave James a second look. "Oh yeah, I should have known. That girl he has a crush on—Jessie—I should have figured you came in the picture somewhere. Jessie and James, the super failures, always come in a set, right?" She smiled at him, and James had a sense that she wasn't insulting him on purpose—it just turned out that way.  
  
Ash, who was tired of being ignored, stepped in front of James. "Hi, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."  
  
She looked at him thoughtfully. "Pallet? Ah, so you're from Masara. So am I," she seemed satisfied with them somehow. "I'm Doctor Morada Kokuan."  
  
Morada? James had thought Mondo had said Morada but he'd just thought he'd meant Miranda.  
  
"Is Morada even a name?" Ash rudely voiced what James was thinking.  
  
She glared at him. "It is now, kid." She then turned to James. "So…as interesting as this is, why are you here?"  
  
James shook his head. "Why don't you get something on besides a towel and we'll show you."  
  
  
  
"Woah…" Morada appeared to be at a loss for words. Ash too, and James realized that he's only told the kid that Jessie had gone missing, but he hadn't mentioned the machines. Ash had an almost horrorstruck expression, while Morada seemed to find it fascinating as they both stared at the machines, the tank, and Jessie.  
  
"Is there a way to disconnect her from that thing?" James asked impatiently. Morada snapped out of her daze and took something that looked suspiciously like a Star Trek tricorder from the pocket of her lab coat, then a pokeball from the same pocket.  
  
"Well lessee…" she said. "Zubat, go! Use supersonic, low band," she ordered the pokemon as it appeared in a white flash. The blue bat flapped its wings and sound waves, too high to hear, came from its mouth and the reflecting waves came back to Morada's tricorder thingy.  
  
"I was about to open it, but then I thought it might hurt her so I needed a second opinion," James explained.  
  
Morada slapped her scanner shut. "Fascinating…" she said, more to herself than to him. Then she turned around to face James, and motioned to Jessie. "There's not much of a chance of her being hurt in this case," she said in a far to serious tone. "She's not your girl."  
  
"What do you mean?" James managed.  
  
She put her hand on the glass and faced the dormant occupant. "It's an amazing replica, really, but this isn't Jessica," she said, and faced him again. "This is an android." 


	2. 

"A-a-a...A WHAT!?!?" James yelled, unable to believe it. "An android? Isn't that a robot?"  
"Well, kinda...not exactly," Morada stuttered, hands up defensively, trying not to upset him.   
Ash stared was staring at Jessie, or whoever she was, unable to see a difference between this and the woman that had tried to steal pikachu so many times. But that really wasn't saying much, for Jessie and James had fooled him with less extravagant costumes, but still... "Does this mean she's been an androbot all along, or did somebody make a whatchacallit that just looks like Jessie."  
Morada crossed her arms. "The word is 'android' and how should I know? I just met the-er-girl."  
"She-she couldn't have been..." James tried say. "I would have known if..." But he couldn't get the words out. Had she been lying to him the whole time? Well, she never really had said 'hi I'm Jessie and yes, I'm human' but still...an ~android~...  
"But what's the difference?" Ash asked. "Between a robot and an android I mean."   
"Er..." Morada started. She wasn't exactly an expert on those things. "Well an android is in a human shape, obviously, but some robots are too... Well the main difference is, androids use their programming as more of a brain than as instructions."  
"Huh?" James and Ash said at once.   
Morada gave an exasperated sigh. "Well...an android can be programmed to do something, but it gets to decide how to do it. It can somewhat think for itself, but it still has to do what it's programmed to do," she said. "But a robot you have to do everything for-tell it exactly what to do, it's mindless--and unless it's real advanced, ya sometimes have ta use a remote control."  
Ash looked over at the tank. "But what if she's a robot-how do you tell?"  
Morada bit her lip. "I'm pretty sure she's an android-the scans showed real advanced programming-but there is one surefire way to find out."  
"What?" James asked. With the downpour of secrets that he'd been wading through recently, from Jessie's disappearance to this, he didn't think he could stand not knowing the complete truth about anything else.   
Morada gave him a look that screamed 'are you stupid?' and said, "well there IS an 'on' switch."  
  
  
"Hey, Batch," Buson called from the truck. "Give us a hand here!"   
Butch stiffly walked over to the grungy pickup where several Rocket's were unloading the pickings from their latest heist. "It's Butch," he growled at them. "Can't ANYONE get my name right?"   
Buson laughed at him. "Like it matters, kid," he said, tossing Butch a bag full of pokeballs. "Take that in for us."   
Butch wanted to punch the man, but there would have been two things wrong with that. First of all, Buson was an Elite Rocket, and on the list of the Boss's favorites. Second, he was really REALLY big.   
Two other Rocket grunts had been 'recruited' by Buson and were struggling with a parcel that looked suspiciously like a body bag. "What's in that?" Butch asked, eyeing the thing. "Strange shape, it's not a pokemon."  
Buson glared down at him, disapproving of his curiosity. "Wouldn't you like to know," he smirked, putting a large bag of pokeballs over each shoulder, as if to mock Butch's trouble with the one, slightly smaller bag. "Inside with the thing, I don't got all day."   
Butch exhaled quickly, and turned to leave. He began to make his way to the sorting room. That was where the caught pokemon were divided into categories based on type, level, and rarity (so the Boss only got the best). He'd reached the door when he heard one of the grunts yell out, "Where does this go, sir?"   
"Shiranui-Hakase could use her, take her to the labs," came Buson's reply.  
Butch's mind geared up a bit. Labs? Her? and the lead scientist of Team Rocket was involved too... he had to check this out, it might be important for the "resistance" that was starting to build up in the lower ranks. Butch quickly threw the bags into the sorting room and ducked into the bushes to follow the grunts.   
  
The labs were a series of buildings near the center of the Rocket base. Well, technically only one building was an actual lab; the other's were small constructs that surrounded it. Normally the Team Rocket scientists were working in different labs all over, but five hears ago all of TR's best had suddenly picked up and moved to the Boss's hideout for reasons unknown to the lower ranks of the team.   
Butch followed the grunts past the constructs and up to the main building. He hid behind a corner and watched as the grunts dropped the bag on the grass, stretched, and knocked on the door. Butch was quite surprised to see Domino open the door. "And you want?" she asked in that tone of hers, obviously finding it disgraceful to be in the presence of grunts.  
One of the grunts pointed to the bag. "Buson thought your scientists might like this-whatever it is." It was a girl grunt, Butch hadn't noticed because her hair was so short, her face plain, and her chest insignificant. But her voice was female. Much of the reason that female grunts didn't get promoted to often was because they weren't pretty enough to catch the attention of the Boss.   
Domino poked the bag with her toe. "Well don't think I'm going to open it," she said, looking annoyed.   
The female grunt glared at Domino, but said nothing as she bent down and unzipped the bag. A person-a teen with bright orange hair-fell onto the grass, and Domino jolted. "I know this kid," she said at the same time as Butch had thought it.  
He didn't know her name, but he had definitely seen her before. She was with those kids that had the pikachu...   
Domino was in a state of frenzy. "She was with those kids that had the pikachu!" she yelled. "They ruined the Mewtwo project...oh I'm getting my revenge on this brat!" Domino said, grounding one fist into the palm of her other hand. "Bring her inside. We've been needing a new lab ratacate even since our prototype got stolen."  
  
tbc 


	3. 

"That's the last of them," Ash grunted, carefully placing the final green canister on the table next to the others. It had been hard enough to lug in the tank, but at least then it had been he, Morada, James, and some of their pokemon helping to carry the heavy thing. But since the canisters looked so small, Ash's pride wouldn't let him ask for help. And now he was sore all over.   
"Uh huh," James mumbled, but didn't seem to notice Ash. He and Morada were trying to reassemble the computer system they had lugged into the Doctor's basement laboratory piece by piece. "This button, right?"   
Morada looked over, "Yeah, that's it," she said. James was pretty good with computers, but he needed Morada's access codes to get into the system in the first place. She turned to Ash. "That stuff is shock-absorbing fluid, well most of it is anyway. Not sure about the others...but oh well, we're almost ready."  
Ash shifted from one foot to the other and watched them work. He'd never bothered to learn how to use a computer, and wasn't much of a help at the moment. But he didn't like being useless. "What can I do?" he asked, and pikachu nodded from his shoulder.   
"Well we really don't need your help with-" she looked over at the tank with the dormant Jessie-droid. "Look, why don't you go upstairs-second door to the left-and get her something to wear," she looked Ash up and down. "It's a good thing all my clothes are stylish, because I wouldn't trust your fashion sense..."  
Ash had a feeling he should have been insulted right then, but then again he'd been wearing the same thing for years, and fashion trends changed as often as his mother told him to change his underwear.  
"Anyway," Morada continued, "Make sure it's a baggy shirt and-oh never mind I'll do it, I wouldn't trust you to pick out a bra anyway..." She set down her mini philipshead and disappeared upstairs.  
When she was out of earshot, Ash turned to James. "Who IS that girl, anyway?" he asked.  
James didn't look up from the small blue screen that faced him. "A friend's sister-dammit, hand me one of the screws in that box...no those are for flathead screwdrivers, I've got a philipshead...the red box."  
Ash found the container and handed it to James. "So..." he said, not enjoying the silence. "She just disappeared? You didn't tell me much about what happened..." James visibly stiffened and Ash saw that he still did not want to talk about it at all. "Um...do you think...with Misty...I wonder if she's one of those roboids."  
"Androids."  
"Yeah, I meant that."  
James looked somewhat annoyed that Ash had made a comparison between Jessie and Misty. "What makes you think that the disappearances have anything to do with each other?"  
But before he could answer, Morada rushed back in, carrying some clothes over her arm. "She's taller than I am by, like, a LOT, but I had a few things that would work," she said, laying the clothing down on the table. She scanned the room quickly and seemed satisfied.   
Clapping her hands together she announced triumphantly, "That should just about do it. We can activate her and worry about the other systems later."  
James looked both relieved and nervous, but said nothing.   
She stared at them for a moment, then glared at the two. "Ok boys, didn't your mother ever tell you perverts get arrested?" she asked. "Now, shoo, and I'll tell you when to come back in."  
  
The "patient" was lying on an exam table in the middle of the room, wearing one of Morada's more hideous outfits-a greatly oversized pink sweatshirt that looked like it was from the 80's, and a green pleated skirt that would have been long on a girl like Morada, but came up past the knees on the Jessie replica.  
The doctor was fumbling around with some odd looking tools and muttering to herself while Ash kept staring at the metal strips on the android, looking for the elusive "red button" that always turns on machines on TV. But all James could do was stare at the thing. Was this Jessie, or something made to look like her? Had the real Jessie been replaced way back when they were still together? Why an android in the first place? And what about his mystery employer...who was he, and why did he want her so badly?  
"Ho-ha!" Morada suddenly cried, making him jump. She was holding up a strange metal stick-like thing as if it were the Holy Grail. "It's this one! I figured it out without checking the schematics-I RULE!"  
James sighed. "You DO know what you're doing, right?"  
She shrugged, "Who does?" she said, waving her hand. "Now come on, let's start pushing buttons and we'll see if anything works."   
  
There was something wrong... She'd been asleep for much longer than she should have, she could feel it, but something else was out of place... the noise...the sounds...they were gone. It was quiet, and it shouldn't have been.   
Where were the sounds of the pokemon center? Joy never let trainers sleep in too late; she must have missed breakfast. Stupid Ash, why didn't he wake her?   
No. There was something else. The cold...where was her blanket? And her backpack should have been at her feet and...where was... "TOGAPI?"  
Misty sat upright, which was apparently a mistake for she was very dizzy. Now she remembered what had happened. Robbers from Team Rocket, they must have knocked her unconscious before she could scream.  
"Oh look, the princess woke up," said a faintly familiar voice in a less than stellar tone.   
Misty turned around to face the speaker. "Hey! I know you...gimme a sec...Cassidy!" The blonde Rocket girl was leaning against a stone wall in the small but well lit room. It seemed they were in a sort of old-fashioned prison, with rock-made walls and iron bars on the one window. The floor had straw to sleep on.   
Cassidy gave three sarcastic claps. "Oh, good for you. You remembered-how flattering."  
Misty glared at her. She couldn't believe it! Being stuck in a cell with Jessie would have been better than her...wait...cell... "Where are we?"  
Shurg.  
"I remember seeing rocket agents, but if they kidnapped me, why are you here?"  
Shrug.  
"Why would Team Rocket want to lock you up?"  
No response.  
"What's going to happen to us?"  
  
  
::Dark. It's very dark, but there are voices.::   
  
"I think that did it, but I'm not sure..." voice designation: unknown.  
  
::More voices. ::  
  
"Is she awake-or is it activated?" Voice designation: unknown.  
"She should be, but..." first voice.   
"Jessie...?" voice designation: acquired. Accessing... Rocket Personnel File: accessed. Member listing: void. Ex-Rocket member listing: accessed. Voice designation: Morgan, James. "I don't know if she can hear me."  
  
::what's going on?::  
  
"I'll try and bring her visual processors on line." First voice.   
"There!" second voice. "She opened her eyes. Hey Jessie, do you know where you are?"  
Visual processor: on line. Calibrating... Image file: accessed. Location: unknown.   
"Jessie...ca... Jessica. Do you know what's going on?" Morgan, James.   
  
::Who am I?::  
  
Analyzing data. Searching... Access personal file: done.   
Team Rocket tactical defensive android 01-Prototype. Assigned identity: Miamoto, Jessica. 


	4. 

"Ok, I think I see the problem," Morada said, staring at the computer screen. Wires were running from the machinery on the android's forehead and neck to the computer monitor, and Morada was staring at the screen, biting her lip. "One of two things is wrong, and it's fixable for the most part."  
  
Ash looked over her shoulder to stare at the screen, but the whole thing made no sense to him. "What is it?" he asked her. Morada continued to chew her lip. James remained silent, staring into the false woman's lifeless eyes, trying to find...something, anything he could reach.  
  
"Er..." Morada started, not quite sure how to explain all this. "She can hear us...and she can process the information...she just can't respond yet..." She cast a fleeting glance at James, who showed no response to what she'd said.  
  
"Why not?" She thanked God for Ash, or else she'd be stuck with the king of uncomfortable silences. There was a "Pika" from the boy's shoulder.  
  
She took a deep breath to try and regain her professional composure. "An android is like a computer. Actually...it IS a computer, and computers need software or else you can't get the most out of them, follow?"  
  
Ash shook his head, and James said "No," but without looking up.  
  
She sighed. "Whoa-kay, this would be so much easier to explain if you were Trekkies, but anyway..." She went over to the table and got her laptop. "Look at this. It's state of the art and all that, but without software it's useless. I had to install Windows, the word processor, the CD burner, the spreadsheet program, not to mention all the stuff my computer needs to hold up Team Rocket's medical database."  
  
Ash looked at the computer. "So what kind of games can you get on this thing?"  
  
There was a bang-James had fallen down. "Will you get on with it?!"  
  
Morada pointed to the Jessie-droid. "Think of her as a computer without all its software," she said, patting her laptop. "She has her basic components, she's running, but you have to install things like memory buffers, logic subroutines, motor functions, and most importantly a personality profile. You can talk to her now, if you use the computer. But she won't be able to answer much of your questions because she doesn't know how. I think what I need is in the database, but it'll take a few hours to install all of it."  
  
James stared at what was supposed to be Jessie. "So you're going to what-program her to be human?"  
  
Morada shrugged. "Well I wouldn't put it that way exactly, but yeah, basically that's what it is." She turned on the laptop. "Right now she's the equivalent of this thing-except without Solitaire." James narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. "I could plug her into the other computer that came with her, there's a data input program in it that you could use to try and get some questions answered..." She picked up another phone chord and plugged it into the outlet on the android's forehead. She brought the other end of the wire to the large computer consol and plugged it in. "I'm brining voice command on line so we don't have to type anything in, just ask her something but remember she won't have much of an answer until I get some programs installed."  
  
James took a deep breath. "W-who are you?" he tried.   
  
The Jessie android remained stiff, and still stared straight ahead with dead looking eyes, but she spoke in an a familiar voice. "Team Rocket tactical defensive android 01-Prototype. Assigned identity: Miamoto, Jessica."   
  
  
  
James felt his insides freeze. That was her voice...or was it? Had that been replicated too? And what had she meant by 'assigned identity'? Did that mean she'd been assigned to assume that identity and replace the real woman, or that she actually was the girl he'd always called his best friend. "What do you mean by assigned identity?" he asked cautiously, not sure if he wanted an answer.  
  
"Please restate inquiry." Scratch that, he DID want an answer.  
  
"James," Morada started. "She doesn't have the subroutines to figure out what you're asking." Morada looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why don't you and the kid go out and get rid of your getaway car-I don't want any of this getting traced back to me and this is obviously a very valuable piece of technology-people are bound to come after it-I mean her."  
  
James looked at the android, not wanting to leave incase anything happened.   
  
"Give me three hours," Morada insisted firmly, but in a pleading tone. "This is going to take a long time, but I can at least get some of the important programs up today. Three hours is how long it should take to at least upload logic subroutines and an adaptor, you won't get anywhere without those."  
  
James sighed, took one last pitiful glance at...whoever she was, and headed for the door. He grabbed Ash by the collar, dragging him away from a 'thrilling' game of Minesweeper on Morada's laptop. "Come on kid, I'll show you the proper way to blow up a truck-bring the pikachu."  
  
The door slammed shut behind them.   
  
Morada stared for a moment, then sighed and sat down at the computer. The android was still just sitting there on the examination table, staring at nothing at all like a mannequin. "So..." Morada said half to herself, half to "Jessie". She took some disks out of a bag and put one in the drive. "Let's find out who you are..."  
  
  
"Sir! Sir!" a young Rocket science intern yelled, rushing into Giovanni's day office. This was the room the Rocket boss used when he was pretending to be a good citizen, and it was far from HQ. The Chief of Police who was meeting with the man had no idea that the office building belonged to the head of the most notorious criminal organization.  
  
The intern froze when he saw his boss had company-Police company-and tried to stutter out a cover-up. "Uh...uh...I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't realize you were busy, I'll come ba-"   
  
The middle aged Jenny stood up. "What's wrong, you came rushing in here so fast it must be important."  
  
"Um...well..." the intern was sweating like crazy. He was so horrible at thinking on his feet, but Chief Jenny couldn't know anything about the experiments... "W-we found out w-who stole your p-p-pokemon, sir," he spat out, hoping his employer would catch on the hidden meaning.  
  
Giovanni looked at the intern, half angry and half curious. "Perhaps I'd better talk with him out in the hall," he said after a pause.  
  
"No, sir," Jenny said. "If a pokemon was stolen, especially from a person as high up as you, it should have been reported," she said matter-o-factly. The intern had a forlorn expression, however Giovanny looked stiff but cool. "Now, don't worry sir, you don't have to involve your employees in looking for a stolen pokemon. The police will be sure to catch the thief-it's probably Team Rocket." Chief Jenny took out a memo pad. "Now, what kind of pokemon is it?"  
  
The intern was scared out of his wits. Giovanni was looking at him in an expectant, threatening way that warned him not to mess this up. "I-It's pokedex number is 01," he finally said. He say his boss's eyes bulge and fists clench as the man realized that his intern was referring to the 01 prototype.   
  
"Bulbasor, then?" Jenny asked, writing it on the pad.   
  
"Yes," the intern sighed in relief that he'd gotten the message to the Boss without arousing suspicion.  
  
"And who do you think stole it?" Jenny asked. The intern looked at his boss, who was staring back with what was obviously a warning glare-he wasn't supposed to let Jenny know who.   
  
"Uh...um...I don't know," he finally got out. "I'm just the messenger," he faced Giovanni, "the-er-investigator you hired sent me to tell you. He's anonymous, of course, so he wanted you to call him personally, sir, in a few hours."  
  
Jenny frowned and faced Giovanni. "Be sure to let me know who it is immediately after you find out," she said, putting away her pad. "I have to go, thank you for meeting with me, sir, and don't worry-the police will support your run for Mayor and find your bulbasor."   
  
Jenny left, and the intern tried to remain at a stiff attention until the Boss was ready to say something. Finally, after a glare that seemed to take forever, Giovanni spoke to his subordinate. "Now, who stole my android, and how did they find out about it."  
  
"I-it was James, sir," the intern said. "A-at least we think so."  
  
Giovanny narrowed his eyes. "Go on."  
  
"Apparently he was sent to pick up a package at HQ, and it turned out the package was 01. Intelligence has determined two possible scenarios: one, James found out about Jessica and tried to rescue her, or two, he didn't know anything about it, and it was just a coincidence. The casing was locked, we can't be sure if he looked inside."  
  
The Boss remained expressionless. "Where is the prototype?"  
  
"Intelligence hasn't gotten that yet. There are three possibilities: one, again, James tried to rescue the android. Two, he delivered it to his employer, or three, a bounty hunter got his hands on 01-it is, after all, extremely valuable and from what I've heard James is a pushover."  
  
Giovanni was silent for a moment. "Was the personality system installed before it was stolen?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
The Boss looked thoughtful. "This can still be fixed. Tell intelligence to find out how much James knows-as long as he thinks his former partner really is an android, he won't bother trying to find the real thing. He'll want an explanation from me, of course, and I can use that opening to find the prototype."  
  
"Well, sir, I'm sorry to be disrespectful, but what if James is working for him? If he has the android, everything would be over."  
  
"If he had it, he'd be gloating right now. 01 is still safe-but he can't get it, and neither can the bounty hunters."  
  
"Yes, sir. Anything else?"  
  
Giovanni rose from his seat and motioned for his Persian to follow. "Just to be safe, we'll move Jessie to another holding cell, but make sure it's nearby-the labs still need her."  
  
  
"Hey, scrawny, get over here," Cassidy called from the other side of the cell. Misty glared at her and stayed where she was.  
"I'm not scrawny," muttered the red head, already starting to miss the boy that called her that-well, just a little bit.   
Cassidy glowered at her. "Fine," she bit out, then switched to her business voice. "It's just that there's this loose bar on the window and I'm too well developed a woman to fit through (Misty coughed) but if you think you're too fat then I guess we'll never get a message outside for help..."  
Misty stiffened, gave Cassidy the evil eye, and stood up. "Fine, I'll go-but first you have to answer some questions for me."  
The Rocket raised an eyebrow. "One question-and you have to go straight to Butch, not the police."  
"Tree questions," Misty said, smirking and crossing her arms. "Or I'll go to Officer Jenny right away."  
"Two."  
"Deal." 


	5. 

"Here," Ash said, pushing a folder into James's hands. "The police reports-I've been trying to tell you, Jessie and Misty aren't the only ones who've gone missing."   
  
"I know that-a lot of people from Team Rocket vanished five years ago, and they're probably involved in this...this android mess!"  
  
Ash looked confused. "You mean all these people were part of Team Rocket?"  
  
James opened the folder, it was manila colored and very thick. Starting on the first page and going on for another three was a list of names, most of which were people James had never heard of, and next to the names were the dates they were last seen on. "No, these aren't members--Team Rocket agents can't exactly report to the police when their partner goes missing."   
  
"Did you say five years?" Ash asked. "You did, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah..." James said, taking another look at the folder. The first name was Akia Martina, and she'd been reported missing only two years ago. "I suppose they used Rocket members at first, so the police wouldn't know. They only moved on to civilians two years ago..."  
  
"Maybe if we had a list of the missing Rocket's, the police-" Ash started, but James didn't let him finish.  
  
"We are NOT going to the police with this!" he snapped. Ash had jumped back in surprise. "They'd take Jes-they'd take that android and arrest Morada and maybe me too," he shouted. "I can handle my own revenge. Besides, the Boss has the police in the palm of his hand."  
  
Ash tilted his head to the side. "Why do you still call him 'Boss'?" he realized that he'd heard Jessie and James talk about their employer frequently, but he'd never really bothered to go deeper into it. Team Rocket was usually just Jessie and James to him...  
  
James shrugged. "I don't know his real name, nobody but his most trusted employees do. I do know that he'd got quite a few personas and a colorful past-what that past is, I have no idea, but the Boss does a lot to hide it."  
  
"Hmm..." Ash trailed off. Some nameless man had kidnapped Misty, and apparently the abductions were nothing new at all. "We still should get a list of the missing Team Rocket members. Do they all have partners we can talk to? Maybe we can form a resistance of some ki-hey! There's the truck!"  
  
A resistance... James remembered that Botch had said something about a mutiny within Team Rocket...maybe this resistance had already started.  
  
"Okay, how do we destroy this thing?" Ash asked, looking at the large getaway car James had used.   
  
"Thundershock it, twerp," James stated. "Have you learned nothing?"  
  
  
  
"WELL?!" Cassidy asked, obviously growing impatient. "Have you thought of your questions YET!?"  
  
Misty shook her head repeatedly, "I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Honestly she had so many things she wanted to ask-choosing just two was the problem. "Uh...to start out with, where are we?"  
  
Cassidy scowled. "Not sure, it would depend on who kidnapped us."  
  
Misty was shocked. "You don't know?"  
  
"Nope."   
  
So Cassidy had been kidnapped too...   
  
"We're probably either in Mahogany Town or Viridian City," the woman continued. "Next question."   
  
Misty stared straight ahead and tried to think. "Why are you here-I mean, you did say you were kidnapped, but I know it was Team Rocket who took me, so what do they want from you if you're already a member?" She knew it probably wouldn't help her current situation, but she was just so curious...  
  
Cassidy shrugged, but glared at Misty like she'd hit a sour spot. "That, my annoying cellmate, is personal."  
  
Misty put her hands on her hips. "WELL! If you're not gonna answer me then I get to ask another question!" she announced like it was some big achievement.  
  
Cassidy sat down and leaned against the wall, waving her hand. "Go head, it's not like I have anything better to do right now."  
  
"Uh..." Misty crossed her arms as she thought of another question. It felt weird, usually togapi was in her hands right now... "What's gonna happen to my pokemon?"  
  
Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "Well...probably they'll be sorted, taken to a training facility until they become vicious and ready to fight for their new masters-or they'll be taken to the labs for experiments. If you have any rare pokemon they'll be given to the Boss or to... well like I said earlier, it depends on who kidnapped us."  
  
Misyt blinked. "Well if it's not Team Rocket, then who-"  
  
"Sorry, twerp, you're out of questions."  
  
  
  
"Were back!" Ash yelled as he and James entered the house.   
  
"Morada!" James called, reaching the door to the basement. "Did you have any luck with the andro-" James opened the door and froze, completely speechless. In front of him stood the living mannequin shaped like his best friend-or perhaps she really was... he didn't know.  
  
The android Jessie certainly looked a little more human. Her stare was blank, but not vacant, and here eyes looked slightly more lifelike as they scanned the room, taking in everything.   
  
Ash could see that James was still in shock. He was rigid, staring into the blank, almost transparent blue eyes of the "girl" in front of him.   
  
"So you're up and running-I mean out and about!" Ash started, getting kind of nervous. "Are you, er, feeling okay?"   
  
"Jessie" turned to face him. "All systems functioning normally," she said as if it were the time of day. "Please identify yourself."  
  
Ash put his hand behind his head. "Uh... I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town...hey James, I don't think she's the real thing. Wouldn't Jessie remember me?"  
  
But James still stood motionless, eyes fixed forward.   
  
"Prototype 01's memory files are located behind a firewall. They are inaccessible," said "Jessie" matter-o-factly.   
  
Since James was no help, Ash turned to Pikachu. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It means she's as good as got amnesia," Morada informed him, coming up the stairs. She patted the android on the head like one would a Growlithe or a child. "One of three things has happened. One: this is who you all know as the real Jessica, and the Rocket's erased her memory or put it behind a firewall so it's inaccessible. Two: she's imcomplete-you stole her before her memory was installed. Or three: she's got here memory, but she knows something that we're not supposed to find out about." Morada stepped past James and the android. "That firewall needs a password to get through. Not even she can access what's in there."  
  
James didn't know what to think. "She knows something," he growled, not sure why he felt so angry. "Something important." With that, he turned around and headed for the door.  
  
"Where ya going, James?" Ash asked, but received no answer. James had his coat on already.  
  
"James?" Morada asked. No answer, but she didn't like the feeling she was getting. "James wait!" he opened the door, but then turned back to take another wistful glance at the image of his friend before leaving. "JAMES!" the door slammed shut.  
  
James was rushing deeper into the forest. He heard the screed door of the cabin open in a noisy creak, and Morada shouted after him, "Don't do anything stupid!"  
  
But he had to know...For his sake, for their friendship's sake, and for his heart's sake he had to know.  
  
  
"I got it!" Misty exclaimed as the bar finally came loose in her hands. Now there was finally enough room to squeeze out the window.  
  
"About time!" Cassidy shouted. Suddenly the girls heard noises outside the door. "Put it back, quick!" Misty shoved the bar back into place, just as the door abruptly opened, knocking Cassidy to the ground.  
  
Two men in black body suits and caps, plain except for the R across the chest entered the cell. In the doorway were two others-one, a man in Cassidy's type of uniform and another man in a lab coat. "The woman," said the man in the coat, "take her."  
  
The two obviously lower Rockets each grabbed one of Cassidy's arms and forced her into a standing position. "But Domino wanted to use the kid," said the man in the black and white uniform.   
  
"And the Boss wants to use Cassidy," the first man said. "Who are you going to listen too?"  
  
"Easy for you to say, you don't have to face that-"  
  
"HEY!" Misty interrupted. "Who are you guys and why am I here? And what are you gonna do with her?" she pointed to Cassidy, who was regarding the situation with as much dignity as possible-head held high and quiet.   
  
"None of you're business, twerp," growled one of the agents, pushing her down.   
  
"WHERE ARE MY POKEMON!?" Misty shouted after them, but the door slammed shut. Alone in the cell, she began to panic. What was going on here? Things seemed to be happening far beyond the petty hole traps of Jessie and James that had stopped so suddenly five years ago. And now she was involved in who knew what...   
  
She removed the bar on the window once more. "I need to get help..." she thought out loud as she worked. "What could Butch possibly do?" she hopped up onto the sill, trying to figure out how to safely jump from the second story. "He must be able to do something if Cassidy was so eager to get to him, maybe I'd better do what I said I would and find him." Below her stood a tent of some sort. Misty jumped, and luckily it didn't cave but gave her a soft landing instead.   
  
She got down and peeked inside the flap-nobody there. It seemed like somebody's portable office. There were bookshelves, a table, and some chairs that all seemed to be designed to disassemble. Luckily, there was also a video phone.  
  
"I'd better call Ash before I look for Butch," she muttered to herself, stepping inside and sitting down at the screen. She dialed the number for the pokemon center they'd stayed at, and Nurse Joy promptly answered the phone.   
  
"Hello, may I help you?" she said cheerily.   
  
"Yeah," Misty nodded, the nurse was a sight for sore eyes. "I'm looking for a trainer named Ash Ketchum."  
  
"Oh, he left a while ago, Miss," Nurse Joy said. Misty couldn't help but feel angry that he'd just leave without her, but then again Ash had never been the sit down type. He was probably out looking for her, and that moron probably didn't think that she might try and contact him-the nerve.   
  
"Thanks," Misty said, trying to sound pleasant. "Sorry to bother you." She hung up and dialed another number.  
  
"Brock's Breeding Center," came the familiar voice from the other end. Unfortunately it was audio only.  
  
"Brock? Oh thank goodness!" Misty nearly shouted with relief, but she remembered she dodging Rockets now, and quieted herself. "I need your help! It's an emergency-I'm either in Mahogany or Viridian-please Brock, I really need your help! I-"  
  
But she was cut off when somebody clamped a hand over her mouth.  
  
On the other end of the line, Brock was getting worried. "Misty is that you? Misty? MISTY?" he switched from audio to video, but all he could see was an empty room.  
  
  
  
Giovanni sat back in his chair, Persian curling up at his feet with a loud purr. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would surely be worse with what he had planned. He was ready to relax, but the intercom beeped at him. "WHAT IS IT?" he growled.  
  
"Y-you have a call Sir," came the voice of his secretary, a bit staticy over the microphone.   
  
"I thought I told you I didn't want to be disturbed!"   
  
"But it's James, Sir."  
  
Giovanni sneered. "Checkmate," he patted his Persian's head. "Put him through."  
  
  
tbc 


	6. 

Author's note: Okay folks, I'm done with the filler chapters! ::and the peasants rejoice:: So from now on, this story will, hopefully, be moving at a faster pace with more stuff happening ^_^ The chapters up till now were mostly little action and a lot of dialogue that was all very important to the plot. However I am still one of those authors who likes to keep people guessing (although I dunno how good I am at it) so I'll be revealing more stuff in this and later chapters-this is because I'm afraid you all will get sick of trying to figure out what I'm implying with some of the weird dialogue.   
  
None of the probably made any sense ^^;; but anyway, I'm hoping this story will be less boring and have just as much action as the required thinking involved. As you can see, I am no big fan of stories without plot twists. If everything is too straight forward, things become predictable, so go ahead. Try and guess how it ends. The chances are incredibly small that you'll be right. (muwahaha)  
  
But that's what makes reading fun-hopefully reading this story will be enjoyable ^_^  
  
Oh and one more thing, the opening scene bears a resemblance to the ending of chapter 3, the way the dialogue is set up. It may seem confusing now, but you'll understand in probably the next chapter-maybe ^_~.  
---  
  
:: there's something that I... I? There is no "I" ::  
  
"Okaaaaay." Kokuan, Morada. Identifed: Team Rocket Doctor. Security level: 3.   
Personal physician to "Boss" and Elite rank. Personnel File: void. "This is kinda neat, not like you'd care anyways, but I hate talking to myself and you're the only one here."  
  
:: "I" am not real, but what is real? :: searching... searching... Definition: real-genuine, authentic, true, existing.   
  
:: "True"? That's not me. There is no "me" either::  
  
"Anywho..." searching... word not found. "Your internal structure is set up almost exactly like a human body. Those civilian doctors that still use things like x-rays instead of the scanners Team Rocket invented could never tell you aren't human. You even have a simulated heart. It pumps red colored plasma that maintains your systems-neat, eh?" Kokuan, Morada.  
  
:: "I" am not "true"... ::  
  
"But you're gonna haveta learnta act more human-follow?" Kokuan, Morada.   
  
Searching... words unknown. Incorrect usage of contractions. "Negative."  
  
"That's what I'm talking about!" Kokuan, Morada. "You can't say things like 'negative; when you should really be saying something simple like 'no'. If you talk like some computer we'll never pass you off as a real human."  
  
:: But "I" am not "real". "I" does not exist. ::   
  
  
"Well, James," Giovanni started, "this is an unpleasant surprise. What does a deserter like you want-because I refuse to give you your job back."  
  
On the videophone screen, James was glaring at him. His anger helped in putting on a brave front, but he was honestly still terrified of his former Boss. "I need to get a message to someone..." he began carefully. "You said Jessie was assigned to a level five division, and their location is top secret. Well I'm not asking much, sir, not her location or anything. I just wanted to tell her something."  
  
Giovanni scowled at James, but smiled on the inside. "I am the sole owner of an international organization of pokemon theft and experimentation, and you have the audacity to call me and ask to bring myself down to a mere letter carrier?"   
  
James visibly squirmed. "I couldn't think of anyone else who'd know where she is. I didn't have many friends in the higher ranks." He tried to meet Giovanni's glare, but those eyes just knew far much more than he did and he couldn't stand to look. "If there's someone else I can call, an actual letter carrier..."  
  
"I'm curious, James," Giovanni was getting that tone. He was fishing for information. "In five years, you haven't tried to contact her. Why now?"  
  
James's eyes narrowed. He knew. His former boss knew he'd found out about the android. "Just...curious," he tried. "I got myself into an...interesting situation; I thought she might like to know-and I though she might know some things that would help."  
  
"Ordinarily I wouldn't," Giovanni answered. Things were playing out just like he wanted them to. "But Jessie has become one of my most valuable members-it seems you were weighing her down, I was right to separate you-and I talk to her frequently. I might pass on the message if I believe it's really worth it. What is it you wanted to tell her?"  
  
James held up a piece of paper. "I'd prefer to send a letter," he said.  
  
"That would create a paper trail. You'll just have to trust me to tell her, wont you?"  
  
The man smiled at James, and both knew what was happening. They both knew something the other wanted to-and yet they were initiating in small talk. Pointless, but it seemed to be a ritual event. "I guess I will..." James replied slowly. "Just tell her that I met a...strange person she might know. Looks remarkably like Jessie, but she's...different." He left it there, giving the Boss a smug look-well as smug a look as a terrified man could give.  
  
Giovanni smiled, "I'd pass that message on," he said, giving James a smile. "But I think you know more than I do where to find your Jessica. Good luck James, I'll see you soon."  
  
He hung up. James thought about what the man had said. He knew better than the boss did where to find her? Did that mean...the android really was Jessie?  
  
  
Giovanni turned around in his chair and went to the darkened corner of his office where two guards were waiting, holding a prisoner. He bent down, and lifted the girls chin so she'd have to look him in the eye. "I have a message for you," he said, still with that smile. "Your little friend thinks that you are my android, or did you already hear?" he laughed.  
  
Jessie thrashed her shoulders, trying to break free of the guards' hold, but it was no use. She mouthed obscenities at the Boss, but her voice wouldn't come because of the medicine she'd been given. He laughed again.  
  
"It's a shame you were too tongue tied to speak to James," Giovanni smirked, turning to leave. "He would've loved to hear from his ex-friend."  
  
His secretary was just opening the door for him when he heard a hoarse whisper. "What," hissed Jessie, hardly audible, "Did you tell James?"  
  
"Enough to make sure he doesn't try to rescue you."  
  
  
  
Uggh...what a headache. Misty felt dizzy, but that was about all she felt, for as far as she was concerned, there was no sensation in her limbs and she could care less. All she wanted was a Tylenol. She opened her eyes-too bright, forget it, sleeping is better.   
  
"Um..."  
  
Who was that?  
  
"Excuse me...um...are you awake?"  
  
She opened one eye, but had to squint so much she couldn't see a thing. Whoever it was dimmed the lights, and as he eyes adjusted a young man maybe a little older than Ash came into view.   
  
There was an "R" on his shirt.   
  
"AAAHHHH!!!!" Misty screamed, she tired to stand but could not. The only way she was actually sitting up straight was that her captor had pressed her against him, clamping a hand over her mouth.   
  
"Please be quiet," he begged. "I didn't hide you very well so you can't scream or they'll find out you're here." Misty wasn't sure what this guy was up to, but perhaps it was that he'd said "please" that made her nod. "Now if you just let me explain, without running away or anything, I'll give you the antidote to that sedative that in your system." She nodded again.  
  
  
Five minutes later Misty was feeling much better.   
  
  
"All right you kidnapping jerk," she started out. "Who are you and what am I doing here-and where's here?" They seemed to be in a supply room of some sort. A large machine of some sort hummed loudly and puffed steam. It concealed them, but not very well for someone could easily sneak up on them if he knew where to look.  
  
"We're in Mahogany Town," the boy stated. "At Team Rocket Headquarters."  
  
"That's the where," Misty glowered, tapping her foot. "Give me the who and why."  
  
"I'm Mondo, I'm a friend of Jessie, James, and Meowth ("Humph!" said Misty) and as for the why...because we need your help."   
  
  
"Each disappearance happened around the time that a pokemon center would get robbed in the area," Ash was saying to the only one who seemed to care-Pikachu.  
  
"Ash?" Morada popped her head into the room. "Help me out here-turn on the TV and bring me those cables over there...that's it..." Morada entered, guiding the android to the couch in front of the television set. "Now..." she said, opening her laptop. "It's a good thing your advanced programming lets you do so much at once, or we could be here for a while."  
  
"What are you doing?" Ash asked, flipping the channels until he found a pokemon battle.   
  
"She doesn't know how to talk like a person...still mutters in computer jargon," Morada explained, plugging in two of the cables into the laptop. "So I'm making her access a syntax program on the computer, but she also has to learn to understand slang, things said in accents and all that so I think if she watches enough TV she'll get the hang of it eventually."  
  
Ash looked skeptical. "Will that really work?"  
  
She glared at him. "If it worked in Splash then it'll work with her!" she snapped. "And turn it onto real TV, not a pokemon battle."  
  
"It's the middle of the day!" Ash whined. "All that's on are soaps."  
  
"SO? Soaps use dialogue unlike pokemon battles--sheesh we can't have her going around saying 'pikachu' now can we?"   
  
Ash reluctantly turned to Days of Our Lives.  
  
  
  
It took James awhile to get back from the pokemon center where he'd been using the phone. Aside from the fact that his car was in many, many pieces at the moment, he felt so confused and depressed it made him walk at a Slowpoke's pace.  
But he didn't notice it at all, only realizing he'd arrived at the cabin when he slammed his nose into the screen door.  
  
"Jessie" opened the door.   
  
"Morgan, James," she addressed him.   
  
He didn't know what to say to her...did she even care if he answered her at all? Could machines feel? Had everything been just a... "James is fine," he tried.  
  
"Yes sir."   
  
James felt his voice catch. Sir? SIR?! Not in his life had he ever expected that to come from her lips...if they really were her lips anyway. It was just wrong, and frankly uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to tell her no, but instead it came out as "Um, er...did you...uh...remember anything?"  
  
"Please specify."  
  
He hated her-this inhuman intrusion. This wasn't Jessie. This was some...some...it didn't even register in his mind. This person was nothing-how dare she take the form of his best friend!   
  
But then again...  
  
What if this thing standing in front of him was the genuine article? Jessie...his Jessie...was an android? But even then, the Jessie he knew... this was her. He'd decided it was her...wasn't that what the Boss had implied?  
  
'But I think you know more than I do where to find your Jessica.'  
  
So this was Jessie.  
  
James closed his eyes, shutting out the image of her for just a moment. He took a deep breath and opened them again. She still stood in front of him. Completely expressionless-devoid of the vibrant energy that had made Jessie, the Jessie he cared so much for.   
  
And those eyes... a shade lighter, a shallow, inhuman electric blue that made James desperately yearn to see the color of the ocean once more.  
  
So this was Jessie.  
  
  
"Where are we going?" Misty asked for the fiftieth time.   
  
"To see some associates," Mondo replied once more.   
  
"Are we there yet?" Misty asked for the fifty billionth time.  
  
"No."  
  
And then there was that awkward silence again.  
  
The two were walking through the woods near Mahogany. The trip was mostly uphill, so it was a good thing she was so used to walking. But Mondo was boring company.  
  
"So..." she started. "You said Jessie, James, and Meowth need MY help?" She didn't even know why she was still walking with the guy. She knew she should've tried to escape when she had the chance, but that might bring a Rocket search party on her and at least this Mondo seemed to have a different agenda.  
  
"No," he said distractedly. "I said "we" need your help. "We" as in the Resistance."  
  
Misty was visibly shocked. "You're rebelling against Team Rocket?"  
  
"No," Mondo shook his head. "The Boss. Sure there are those of us who'd prefer an honest life, but most of us don't mind what we do."  
  
"You should be ashamed-"  
  
"But the Boss has to be stopped," Mondo continued, his tone immature and indignant. He stopped walking, turned around, and looked her in the eyes with an angry expression that didn't seem to fit his childish face. "Just because we're criminals doesn't mean we don't care about people. Sure we're nasty to strangers, but we take our friendships seriously."  
  
"So do people who don't steal!"  
  
The kid made a noise and faced his back to her to continue walking. There was silence once more, and Misty was left to her thoughts. It was obvious the kid hated her, but what was not obvious was why. And why ask for her help then?   
  
"So...Mondo..." she said in a sickly-sweet tone. "What's in Viridian City?" she asked. "Cassidy mentioned it...is there something significant about it?"  
  
Mondo looked up. "Viridian? That's where the Team Rocket training center used to be. HQ was moved there after some incident in Saffron... But now..." he trailed off there.  
  
"Now...?" Misty insisted, trying not to loose her patience with this boy.  
  
"Now, Vicious has his headquarters there," Mondo said. For the first time since she'd met him, his tone was serious. "Team Rocket is in the middle of a civil war. The Boss versus Vicious."  
  
Misty didn't understand this, and she felt she didn't want to get involved in it so she changed the subject.  
  
"What is this "Boss" doing that has to be stopped so badly?" she asked, trying to force sympathy into her voice.  
  
"I told you," Mondo said, "we take our friendships seriously."  
  
"But what-"  
  
"The Boss," Mondo looked so angry right then, "is hurting our friends. We won't allow it-we won't forgive it." Misty remembered Mondo informing her of his friendship with Jessie, James, and Meowth. 'hurting our friends' he'd said. Did that mean the Team Rocket she'd known was in trouble.  
  
Misty didn't know why she cared. Perhaps it was because they'd stopped coming so suddenly five years ago...maybe it was because Mondo seemed so upset...it may even have been because of Cassidy's insistence to get a message to Butch.  
  
But then again...possibly she cared because she'd do anything for her friends as well. "I" she said, feeling her anger flaring up. "I won't forgive him either."  
  
Mondo nodded, then stopped short. "We're here."  
  
  
Tracey walked into Brock's Breeding Center just as Brock himself was running out, causing them to collide in a tangle within the revolving doors.   
  
"Oh my!" came the voice of Mrs. Ketchum from behind them. "Are you two all right?"  
  
"I'm fine," Tracey said, standing up and checking his sketchbook just incase something had happened to it. "Are you okay, Brock?"  
  
Brock shot up quickly. "Tracey! Mrs. Ketchum! We have to hurry-Misty's in trouble, which probably means Ash is two. She sounded real scared on the phone-and-and-"  
  
"Slow down, Brock," said Professor Oak, who had, of course, followed Mrs. Ketchum. "Now, tell us what's wrong."  
  
Brock told them about the phone call from Misty, and they all seemed worried-except for Mrs. Ketchum who really didn't seem to get it.  
  
"But I just got a letter from Ash and he said everything was going well," she said.   
  
"Mrs. Ketchum, did you check the postage date? Who knows how old that letter was," Tracey informed her.   
  
She started to fumble through her purse. "Well let's see, I have it here somewhere..." she held up a tattered envelope with no writing on the front. "Is this it? No, this is from some girl looking for Ash... now I know it's in here somewhere..."  
  
"Somebody's looking for Ash?" asked Tracey.  
  
"Some GIRL is looking for Ash?" asked Brock, starting to get insulted-he still had no girlfriend.  
  
Professor Oak took the letter from Mrs. Ketchum. "There's no address on this," he stated, looking at the blank envelope. "It was delivered personally-maybe whoever it was found Ash-and what if it was somebody bad? Maybe that's why Misty called..."  
  
"What does it say?" asked Brock, leaning over to look at the paper.  
  
Mrs. Ketchum grabbed it back and opened the envelope, extracting a tattered piece of paper. "It says:  
  
Ketchum, let your brat know that if he sees anyone like me, make sure she bleeds before you trust her.   
  
I hate to have to ask for his help, but I didn't know of any other self-righteous hero-types that could pull it off-besides, he's bound to get involved sooner or later, always did before.  
  
Tell him to watch out for the people who go missing, and if he ends up vanishing then you're the one who ought to be careful."   
  
"I'm not sure how much sense that makes," muttered Brock. "This person obviously doesn't like Ash much, but it sounds like whoever-it-is is really counting on him."  
  
"Who sent that letter, Mrs. Ketchum?" inquired Tracey.  
  
She looked down at the note once more. "It's signed 'Jessie'-wasn't she that woman from Team Rocket?"  
  
"What?!" Brock and Tracey shouted, jumping up. They both reached for the paper, but Brock, being taller, got it first.   
  
"Well there are plenty of people names Jessie but only the one from Team Rocket would talk about Ash like this," Brock said, still looking suspicious.   
  
"What about this first line?" asked Tracey from behind Brock. "'Make sure she bleeds before you trust her'? That makes no sense at all. Everyone bleeds...there isn't a living person who doesn't."  
  
  
  
"So...um...what did you do today?" James tried asking the android. He still couldn't think of her as Jessie, not yet.   
  
"Miss Morada Kokuan instructed me to watch television to improve my diction," she said matter-o-factly.   
  
James liked that idea. He might be a little less uncomfortable around her if she stopped talking like the machine she was. "Did you learn anything?"  
  
She promptly threw a glass of water in his face.  
  
"Oh, sorry James!" Morada cried, running upstairs. "I had her watching soap operas all day..." she handed him a towel. "It coulda been worse. She coulda bitch slapped you."  
  
"I told you we should have turned on the pokemon tournament!" Ash called, running downstairs into the main room. ("Pikachu!" agreed Pikachu, desperate for a line.)  
  
"Oh that would've been WAY better," Morada shouted back sarcastically. "She mighta vine whipped him or somethin'."  
  
Just then a phone rang. Morada looked up "Not mine-my phone has that annoying bird thing that yells at you, this sounds like a normal ringer."  
  
"SHIT!" James hissed, hand in his Jacket pocket. "My cell phone-I forgot all about it." He picked up the small, black phone-after 15 rings it still did not stop. "Should I answer?" James asked, the others looked unsure and remained quiet.   
  
28 rings.   
  
"Who would try to contact you?" asked Ash, tapping his foot.   
  
34 rings.  
  
"My mystery employer-his men sent the phone to make sure everything went well with the delivery." James's eyes narrowed. "Which probably means it's tapped."  
  
42 rings.  
  
"I'll answer it," Morada said, plucking the phone from his hand. "I can pretend I'm some bounty hunter who kidnapped you or something-its better they not get suspicious."  
  
51 rings.  
  
Moraga pressed the button to accept the call, but before she could say hello there was a yell from the other end. "JAMES! WHAT TOOK SO LONG?! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" Morada winced and held the phone at arms length. The shout had been loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, and James quickly took the phone back.  
  
"Meowth?" he was shocked. He hadn't heard from the cat in years. "Meowth is that you?"  
  
"Darn right it is, Jimmy," the cat snapped back. James smiled-somebody real, somebody familiar... he missed the old team so much.   
"I took the tap off, but the firewall ain't gonna hold for long so Meowth's gotta hurry," the pokemon continued. "It ain't the tap youz gotta worry 'bout though. You got the android?"  
  
"How did you kn-"  
  
"Forget it for now, just take it an' run!" Meowth said sternly. "Dis phone you have's got more den a tap, it's gotta tracker!"  
  
James held the phone in front of his face. "A-a WHAT?"  
  
"DEY KNOW WHERE YOUZ ARE!" Meowth shouted back. "And dey're COMIN'!"  
  
Ash and Morada had come on either side of him to listen. "Who's they?" Morada asked.   
  
"Da firewall's comin' down," Meowth snapped. "Just run Jim!" the line went dead.  
  
"We gotta get out of here!" Ash cried, moving for his backpack. Morada nodded and went downstairs to fetch some equipment.  
  
"I wonder where Meowth is..." James asked. It had been a rhetorical question, but he promptly received a answer from close behind him.   
  
"Call traced to Viridian City."  
  
He turned around to face the android. "You tracked it?"  
  
"Affirmative." So she could do more than just stand there... what special abilities did she have that made everyone want her so much?  
  
"Hey James!" Morada yelled. Something hit him in the head. Car keys. "Warm up my car and take your giga pet with you. It's in the garage a halfa mile east of here, you can't miss it. Wait for us there."  
  
James felt both shock and relief. "You're coming with us?"  
  
She ran upstairs to fetch her clothes. "I'm involved, aren't I? Ash! Grab a suitcase from the hall closet and bring it up here, will ya?"  
  
"Coming!" Ash called back.   
  
  
James picked up the keys and put them in his pocket. "Come on," he said, awkwardly taking hold of the androids wrist. "We have to leave."  
  
She stood still.   
  
"Come ON!" he pulled on her arm, but she didn't budge.  
  
She stood rigid; her eyes were glazed and James was almost positive he could see a blinking light behind the pupils. "Warning," she said in monotone. "Intruder alert."   
  
  
Tbc  
  
Okay, it's me again, the author. Sorry I keep popping up, this is the first author's note I've done so I have a lot to say.   
  
But for now I just wanted to thank Joy-girl, Ara Moon, Ember Blaze, Eevee, and RocketBratt for reviewing my story. I wish everyone was as nice as you all are, since it's no fun writing a story if you don't get feedback ^_^ 


	7. 

"Warning, intruder alert," the android repeated. James immediately panicked; they were out of time. It was hopeless. Their getaway car was totaled and Morada's vehicle a half mile too far. Not to mention that his electronic companion refused to budge and although she was surprisingly light for someone made from metal, he couldn't carry her if she remained stiff like that.   
  
"MORADA!" James yelled, turning to face the stairs. "We have to leave NOW! Somebody's come for-er-Jessie!" he cried, still not used to calling the android that. He didn't want to get used to it.  
  
Morada appeared at the top of the stairs. "But I'm not packed! And who's come?"  
  
The android answered that one for her. "Twelve body heat signatures have been detected by infrared sensors," she said, still unmoved with voice flat. "Usage of semicircular attack tactics has been confirmed. Probability of escape: 14.5%" James started to look around for something heavy. If they couldn't escape they had to fight.   
  
"And as lovely as those statistics are," replied Morada, "I still would like to know exactly WHO is after us!"  
  
"Somebody's after us?" Ash asked, appearing near the banister and struggling under the weight of three suitcases that all appeared to be Morada's. "Who?"  
  
"We'd all like to know that, wouldn't we?" James muttered. He turned and tried to shake the android's shoulders. "Come on! I can't carry you out of here, you have to move!"  
  
"Two intruders detected at rear entrance," she replied. "Three detected at front entrance, four on east side, two on west side, one pokemon heat signature on roof."  
  
"Waaagghh," Ash cried, dropping the suitcases ("hey!" shouted Morada. "I need those!") "We're surrounded."  
  
"I need to get my equipment or we're screwed," muttered Morada, rushing past James to the basement.   
  
"Hey!" James shouted after her. "We don't have time fo-" but before he could even finish, the blades of a scyther chopped into the doorframe.  
  
  
  
Cassidy was escorted to the truck by three lower agents, all wearing "R"s on their uniforms. Her suspicions had been correct, Team Rocket was behind this after all. While in her cell, she'd tried to convince herself that maybe the traitors hat stolen her, that maybe Vicious had ordered her kidnapping, but she was wrong. Giovanni-it had to be-was the one to blame.   
  
There were just too few older Rocket agents that knew about her past history with the criminal organization. She'd always had a sneaking suspicion her boss would fire her, or even kill her, as soon as she wasn't needed. But Cassidy had tried her best to be a valuable agent, somebody Giovanni could depend on, because she knew surviving would be hard with him as an enemy.   
  
But everything was starting to make perfect sense. The Boss was getting rid of her-getting rid of all the Rocket Children. Killing off anyone who knew his name.  
  
And just to prove her theory, the doors of the transport opened and the thugs roughly tossed her in the back, next to her childhood rivals. Jessie included.  
  
None of them ever expected to be alive for the revolution.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry Mrs. Ketchum," said Nurse Joy. Behind her, Tracey was trying to restrain Brock from jumping at the videophone before she could find out what she needed to know. "I haven't seen your son since he left with a man early yesterday evening. And there hasn't been any girl in the Newbark Pokemon Centre that fits Misty's description."  
  
"I don't understand," Mrs. Ketchum sighed. "If something were seriously wrong, he'd have called me from the first Centre he got to."  
  
"Maybe that man he left with distracted him," Professor Oak offered, trying to comfort her. "Nurse Joy, can you describe him?"  
  
"Yes, he came into the Centre a few minutes before Ash did, and he called a young boy. I expect he came in to use the phones, because he didn't even enquire about a room or pokemon," she said. "It didn't seem like they planned to meet, because they had an argument of some kind that I didn't quite catch, but as for the man... he was a little taller than average, and had long, blue hair. I'm sure I've seen him before somewhere...but I just don't remember. He sounded...not exactly British, more posh."   
  
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE JAMES!" said Brock and Tracey together. Actually, Tracey said it, but Brock sounded like "MMPH SSOMMMPHH LIFF JAMPHHH!" due to Tracey's hand clamped over his mouth to prevent him from screaming "I love you Nurse Joy!"  
  
"James...that young man from Team Rocket that I saw a few times a while back?" Prof. Oak asked. Brock and Tracey nodded.  
  
"Oh dear," Mrs. Ketchum said, standing up. "Does this mean Team Rocket has my Ash?"  
  
"We can't really be sure," replied Tracey, finally letting go of Brock, who charged at the video phone and commenced in asking out Nurse Joy. "Ash was always able to beat Team Rocket before...and if I remember correctly Jessie's Arbok did more of the battling, and James's Wheezing was more for defense, so I don't see how just James could be a threat to Ash..."  
  
"Hold on!" Brock snapped, looking up from his rejection by the nurse. "That didn't sound right. 'Just James'...really I can't seem to picture it! It's always JESSIE AND James."  
  
"Well there was nobody with this James," called Nurse Joy from the screen. "I'm sure of that."   
  
"This sure is getting interesting," commented Oak, but nobody was listening.  
  
"This is weird...and I don't like it," Brock's voice was taking a turn for the dramatic. "Misty vanishes, Ash goes disappears with James of all people, Jessie asks for Ash's help-but apparently it's just her who's asking because the inseparable Jessie and James aren't together!"  
  
Tracey opened his sketchbook to an older picture. "Nurse Joy," he asked, "Was there a pokemon-a Meowth-with James that could walk on two legs like this?" he pointed to the picture. She shook her head. "Strange. I thought those three were joined at the hip."  
  
"What's strange is how they just stopped coming," Brock muttered. He snapped his fingers. "Just like that, gone. About five years ago. We'd all a assumed they'd gotten fired."  
  
"Something must really be wrong," Mrs. Ketchum sat back down again, suddenly feeling feint. "And Ash has gotten caught up in it." She turned to Professor Oak. "What should we do?"  
  
"Well," he answered, standing up. "I suggest we go to Newbark town and search for clues so we can get to the bottom of this."  
  
"But Professor!" Brock argued. "Misty said she was either in Mahogany Town or Viridian City. Shouldn't we look for her?"  
  
"Viridian is on the way to Newbark. We'll stop to see of Misty's there. If she's not, Newbark is on the way to Mahogany so we'll have to go there anyway."  
  
"Then we'd better get moving."  
  
  
  
  
"Where are we?" Misty asked Mondo. All she could see was trees.   
  
"In here," he pointed to the ground, and brushed some dead leaves away with his boot. There was something there. A door? Yes, that was it. Mondo knocked a few times, and the rapping made a little tune that Misty recognized as a song she'd heard Jessie and James sing. It seemed to be the password. The door opened silently, and a familiar face looked up at them.  
  
"You brought the brat, Mondo?" Butch asked. "Well she help us?"  
  
  
"I wanna know exactly what the problem is and what you want me to do before I agree to anything," Misty replied haughtily, pushing Butch out of the way as she climbed down the ladder and into the room below.  
  
It seemed like an old bomb shelter, converted to a base of some sort. Maps hung on the walls, and the long table in the center of the room was covered in blueprints and schematics. An old TV reported the news in one corner, and some electronic recording devices lay on a shelf near a transistor radio. There was food on a makeshift counter, and in the far corner was a crate of some sort, a crowbar jammed into the side, ready to pry it open.  
  
And it was filled with Rockets.  
  
Men and women in different uniforms--mostly black, but white or gray here and there, and all sporting the red R.   
  
"What IS this place?" Misty demanded, moving next to Mondo.  
  
"This is the resistance," he answered. "Well to be more exact, this is the base of operations for it."   
  
She looked around the room and took a quick head count. "There are only a little over twenty people. Some resistance."   
  
"There's more than this," Butch informed her. "Have a seat and we'll explain the whole thing."  
  
  
  
  
"Oh this'll be fun," Cassidy muttered, pulling at the ropes that tied her wrists together with no avail. "Stuck in a car with YOU for who knows how long."  
  
"Yeah," Jessie answered sarcastically, likewise pulling on her own bonds. "Fun's just the word for it-they couldn't have thrown you farter away from me?"  
  
"Oh can't you two stop it for ONCE," another survivor of Madame Boss's era snapped at them. Jessie recognized her-Raquel was her name. She'd grown up with this girl. She'd grown up with all of them. "I don't know what happened to you two, but put it aside for now."  
  
Cassidy shot her a look. "As soon as we get out of this we're gonna settle our old score," she warned Jessie.  
  
"Raquel, Doris, Elsie, Tiara, and Lyn," Jessie counted off the girls in the cargo hold. "Don't tell me we're the only one's left."  
  
Lyn shook her head. "No, we're just the last batch. They've been moving the others out months before. About half of us are still around-I heard we're being moved to the Boss's estate on Seafoam."  
  
"Boys got moved first-a shame too," Elsie's eyes began to take a Brock-like gleam. "I got put in a cell with Rav, remember him? Still so cute..."   
There was a universal, and sarcastic, "Uh huh" within the truck.   
  
Doris glared at the two newest editions to the relative company. "I blame you, Jess, Cass," she said. "You brought too much attention to the Team-all that media exposure, especially from Jessie and her lunatic ("and cute!" added Elsie) partner."  
  
"He's not a lunatic!" Jessie snapped back, "and what do you mean by media exposure?"  
  
Tiara crossed her arms. "Before you came waltzing into a city, chances are they hadn't heard of Team Rocket," she noted, and as Jessie remembered, that was true. She and James had constantly walked around in public wearing their uniforms, and nobody had cared, unless they actually tried something. "But then you two would pop up, say that motto, and make a bunch of things explode. Then BOOM-everyone knew who we were."  
  
Jessie glared at Tiara, remembering why she and the girl had never been friends. She had a knack for saying the truth in the least of flattering manners. "It made people fear us. Once they knew about Team Rocket, the weaker trainers just handed over their pokemon. It saved the Team a lot of trouble."  
  
"Sure," Tiara agreed, but there was a hitch, of course. "But that was when you were successful. After you two blew that pokemon center assignment, you went downhill. We'd see you on the news every so often, blasted sky high by some kid with a pikachu. A PIKACHU! Couldn't you have at least gotten fried by something bigger?"  
  
"It WAS pretty embarrassing-for the whole Team, that is," Doris nodded in agreement. "After that, nobody took Team Rocket seriously-or at least right away. We had to spend loads of money on new weapons, mechs, and all that-just to make us look intimidating enough."  
  
"I ran into trainers who laughed at me when I told 'em to hand over their pokemon," added Lyn.   
  
Cassidy, who'd been snickering throughout the conversation, could no longer hold back her laughter. "Well they've really got ya there, Jessie," she chortled. "Really, if all that media exposure hadn't happened, the police wouldn't be on our case so much. We'd have it easier if those Jenny's weren't riding down our backs. But that's what happens when losers--"  
  
"I wouldn't talk if I were you," Doris interrupted before Jessie could. "You and your partner ("Butch?" Elsie squealed, "Oh he was cute!") lost to the Team's biggest failures! We'd come to expect it from Jessie and James, but you and Butch were doing so well-then that breeding center...really, now THAT was humiliating."  
  
Cassidy and Jessie exchanged looks over Doris's shoulder.   
"Temporary truce?"  
  
"Deal."   
  
Due to the remarkable ability of Rocket agents to have their hair defy gravity, and the fact that the two insulted and angry girls had their hands and feet tied, Doris soon found herself being bombarded with surprisingly heavy hairdos.   
  
  
*Thump* There was a sound from the cargo hold. "Check the window, Al," ordered the driver. His partner opened the panel to look through the small window into the back of the truck.  
  
"Oooooh," he smirked. "Meowth fight."  
  
"My money's on the blond."  
  
"Really? That red head's got some temper-ouch-that had to hurt."  
  
  
--  
  
  
Msity sat in a large chair at the head of the table, most of the Rocket agents sitting along the sides or near by. Butch lounged across from her, looking far more at home with his head resting on his wrist. "Let's start at the beginning," he said. "Do you know what happened in Team Rocket five years ago?"  
  
Misty tried to remember. Five years ago she'd been following Ash around, lost, on his pokemon journey. It'd become the norm for her, and it was the same the year before and the year after. Three years ago Brock left the party to start his own breeding center, but that wasn't what he was talking about. Butch was getting at something different. Something that happened five years ago...familiar faces had disappeared...things were more peaceful but... "Jessie and James vanished about five years ago!" she announced, finally getting it. "They stopped coming...Ash was jumping at rustling bushes for months afterward, but they just...vanished..." she felt her voice grow more quiet as the Rocket agents stared at her. Some seemed angry, but not really with her. The others seemed almost sad, but that was impossible, right? Team Rocket didn't have feelings...  
  
"Exactly," Butch broke the silence with his affirmative. "Do you know what happened to her?"  
  
"Her?" Misty questioned that last word. "As in just Jessie? Not all three?"  
  
"Exactly. Do you know what happened to Jessie?"  
  
"Ummm..." Just Jessie didn't exactly sound right. Those three were never apart, least of all Jessie and James. "I dunno...what happened?"  
  
"She vanished," Butch said simply, and the serious tone of his voice made Misty nervous.   
  
"Vanished?" Misty repeated, shrinking her shoulders. "What happened?" she didn't know why, but she was worried. Not just about Jessie, but about all three. They'd been like those crazy cousins you try to avoid at reunions, but when they go, things just aren't as interesting. But actually, she was feeling a bit guilty. When they'd stopped coming, Brock had suggested they look for Team Rocket, but she'd opposed the idea and Ash just thought his "superior training skills" scared them off. Not likely. They were too resilient for that. She should have known something was wrong...  
  
"Well our best guess is that the same thing happened to them as what happened to everyone in this room," said one of the agents.   
  
"Take James for example," Mondo continued. "Jessie, James and Meowth were summoned by the Boss--about five years ago, approximately fifty teams, Jessie and James included got summoned. One member of the team would be called in to see the Boss to represent his or her partner-in Butch's case, it was Cassidy, and for James it was Jessie who was called in-and that person would go in, and didn't come back out."  
  
"According to the Boss," Butch started, picking up where Mondo left off, "Those members were promoted. Usually to level five teams, or intelligence sects-it was so we couldn't ask for their location."  
  
Misty had to admit, she felt shocked. "Did you ever find out what happened to them?"  
  
Butch silently handed her a piece of paper.  
  
  
  
'Dear Butch,  
I'm doing well where I am, and I think it's time to let go of the past. I believe that I've changed, and for some personal reasons, I'm forced to tell you that we can no longer be friends. You gave me some good memories, but I have to move on now. Please understand.  
--Cassidy'  
  
  
  
Misty finished reading and put down the sheet. It looked in good condition, folded neatly and not yellowed at all. Butch had obviously taken care to keep it. "That's horrible!" she cried, outraged. She felt angry-angry with Jessie, with Cassidy, the whole lot! "Your partners just give you up for a stupid promotion, and you-you call them FRIENDS! I don't see..."  
  
She trailed off as each person in the room (save herself and Mondo) held up an identical piece of paper.  
  
"They were fakes," Mondo said shortly. "Meant to throw us off our guard."  
  
"The Boss thought that if he ended our friendships for us," Butch's voice grew worse with his anger, "that we wouldn't look for them."  
  
"Oh..." Misty tried, staring at the floor and not knowing what to do. "Fifty teams..." she finally said, after doing the math, "That's a hundred people...fifty gone missing just like that..." she looked up suddenly. "You don't think they're-that..."  
  
"No," Mondo assured her. "We're pretty sure they're alive. I traced some movement of prisoners to the estate at Seafoam Island. I think the Boss is moving them-"  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Misty shouted suddenly, jumping up. "I don't believe I forgot! When I was captured, they stuck me in a cell with Cassidy, then some guys came and took her-"   
  
"You saw her!?" Butch demanded, cutting her off, grabbing her shoulders. His hands felt heavy on her shoulders and it seemed as if he'd hurt her if Misty couldn't give him the answers he wanted. Frankly, he scared her, but she honestly felt more surprised. Behind the glare...somewhere in there...there was worry. He wanted her back, that Cassidy.   
  
Misty slowly scanned the room, trying to take in the expression of each person. Those people, those Rocket agents, they looked...wrong...somehow. It was like Ash without Pikachu, or even Jessie without James. There was somebody else who should be standing next to every one of those agents, but that person wasn't there-gone missing. "How come..." she tried slowly, feeling she was treading on unsteady soil. "If there were fifty people vanished, why are there only around twenty of their partners here."  
  
There was silence in the room. Each of those Rockets, trained to be brutal and unfeeling, felt too embarrassed to answer what Misty already expected.   
  
"Not every team was as close as Jessie and James," Mondo finally said, trying to explain for the rest. "But those who are here are the ones who ~were~ close with their teammates-the ones who had their best friends stolen."   
  
Misty took another look at Butch, who avoided eye contact with her, cheeks growing a bit red. "You mean," said Misty, "You're trying to rescue the people who you fell in love with." There was a group silence, but by Team Rocket standards, Misty chose to take that as a yes. "All right," she consented. "I'll help you."  
  
  
-  
  
"This is bad..." Ash shouted, back pressed against the back door in a vein attempt to keep the intruders from outside getting in. Meanwhile, James was trying to keep the scyther from chopping down the door by sticking a metal pole through one of the holes it already made.   
  
"It would help," he answered, but not talking directly to Ash, "If she would do something besides stand there!" he shouted, referring to the android. "Didn't she say she's a tactical defense thing or something?"  
  
"I expect," Morada offered, appearing in the room once more, carrying a large briefcase full of her supplies. "That she's on defensive mode right now, taking scans et cetera, but if I read the schematics correctly you need a password or something...oh I dunno, but don't expect her to play bodyguard for you-it's not in her programming."  
  
"What exactly IS in her programming!?" James shouted back, jumping out of the way as the scyther blade punctured the wood once more.   
  
"I think she's programmed to defend the person who made her" Morada replied, fishing through her pockets "...or maybe she's designed to be the Boss's bodyguard-I imagine that would be useful. Ingenious idea, honestly-"  
  
"Compliment him later," Ash and James snapped at once. "For now, DO something."  
  
She glared at them. "Fine, don't get snippy. I imagine you all have pokemon?" They nodded. "Good. Then James, get away from that door and let's take 'em down."  
  
"All right!" Ash cried, happy to finally be in his element. Pikachu shouted in agreement.   
  
Immeaditely after James had cleared the way, the Scyther chopped into the room, trainer following. Another person came in after the first trainer, and two entered through the back door when Ash stepped back. They all had their eyes trained on the redhead replicant.  
  
"All right, don't come any closer!" Ash ordered, "Who are you and what do you want?"  
  
"You know what we came for," growled one, apparently the leader. "Now hand her over."  
  
"Not a chance!" Ash snapped back, pulling out a pokeball. "Ivysour I choose you!"  
  
James, meanwhile, was attempting to figure out where these people came from. They were all dressed in black body suits, like lower Rockets, and they certainly had that look-the look of those Rockets he'd always stayed away from. Most members joined Team Rocket because they had to, but there were some people...they reveled in violence. But the most surprising thing was the uniforms themselves, not who wore them. The chest of each jacket bore a blazing red letter-but it wasn't an 'R'.  
  
Morada came quietly up behind him, and murmured in his ear (actually, more of his shoulder since she was so short) "They aren't from Team Rocket. What does the 'V' on their shirts stand for?"  
  
"I dunno..."  
  
"Ivysour go! Solar beam!" they heard Ash shout from nearby. Three out of the four mystery opponents were blasted out of the house along with their scyther, but two more entered through a window and all reached for the pokeballs at their belts.   
  
"Sandslash!" "Bayleaf!" they called, and the monsters appeared, ready for battle.  
  
"I'll take the sandslash," Ash yelled to James and Morada, but didn't waist time in looking back at them. "James, make yourself useful and Morada if you have pokemon now would be an excellent time to-"  
  
"No," James interrupted. "No time for that, we'll take care of the battling. Morada, we have to get-to get...to get Jessie out of that 'security mode' or whatever you call it."  
  
"I'm on it!" she chirped, and opened the briefcase to start her work. Ash had called out his other pokemon and they formed a protective wall around the doctor and her off patient.   
  
One of the men in black turned to his partner, mumbled something, and the other nodded. They were planning something and James didn't like the looks of it at all. They had to get out, and fast, but they could do nothing until...until...until Jessie snapped out of what ever it was that kept her frozen like that. "Wheezing, Victreebel go!"   
  
Both pokemon appeared and charged at the Bayleaf, but they weren't doing so well. Wheezing couldn't use smokescreen until they A: had a place to run to, which meant at least clearing one of the exits to the cabin, and B: Morada had to finish her work, and she certainly couldn't operate a computer with smoke filtering in from all directions. That left wheezing with tackle and sludge, but with the grass types speed advantage those didn't help too much.  
  
Victribeel, on the other hand, was only slightly more useful. With grass vrs. Grass type the match was decently even. It had learned, finally, not to bite James when it appeared. James would often have to show his pokemon to get a job, and if they didn't make a good impression they didn't eat, and the pokemon had learned that quickly.   
  
James wished that Jessie's pokemon had not vanished along with her, for they obviously weren't on the android anywhere. Wabbufet would have made an excellent shield for Morada while she worked. Arbok was the principle battler of the team, and although they always lost to Ash and co, Jessie was honestly an excellent battler as she'd proven in the Girls Day festival.  
  
  
  
"Come on, girl!" Morada hissed at the android. "What's your name? Jessie? Be reasonable and get off of this security lock out!"   
  
"Access denied," came the monotone reply as Morada punched in another code.   
  
"Arrgggg..." she didn't think she could take this much longer. The port on the android's forehead didn't work, so she tried the small computer panel on its neck with similar success. "Work with me here!"  
  
"Authorization code required."  
  
Morada felt her eye twitch. She took a deep breath and tired to calm down. Perhaps she didn't understand the problem. "Okay... now let's see..."  
  
  
  
  
::there's a battle going on outside. What's happening? Why are these strangers here?::   
  
"There's a problem with your circuit programming," Kokuan Morada. "You can't attack an enemy you can't identify if you go by this program-who installed this thing? It's useless in a fight!"  
  
:: Who are these people? These intruders... ::   
  
"There!" Kokuan Morada, "Try it now. Try identifying those dudes in black now, I think I fixed you."  
  
:: Who... :: searching... searching... Intruders identified: Traitors to Team Rocket. Orders: Destroy.   
  
  
  
"Uh-oh," Morada mumbled, stepping back from the android a few paces.   
  
James saw her out of the corner of his eye, "Uh-oh? What's uh-oh?"  
  
"I think I...did something," she answered, watching intently. "Oops."  
  
The android looked different. She no longer stood stiffly, but instead her knees were bent and fists clenched, ready to pounce. Bright blue sparks started to appear from the circuitry on her skin, and as her eyes slowly opened, they glowed red. She faced one of the black-clad intruders, and he involuntarily stepped back in alarm. "Identified." She said it slowly, and her voice sounded unreal-not like Jessie's at all. "Traitor to Team Rocket. Destruction must be initiated to insure the rise of our corporation." She raised her arm, the one that was covered in those thin metallic strips, and something happened to it.   
  
The strips seemed to move and grow, elevating to a few inches over the rest of her simulated skin, and a hole or some kind of port appeared behind the metal.  
  
"Is that a gun?" James asked, starting to panic.   
  
Morada started to back behind Ash's Heracross. "Um...maybe..."  
  
It wasn't a gun-not exactly. It didn't shoot bullets, but instead a long, steady stream of horrible electric light left the port, and hit one of the intruders head on.  
  
"All right!" Ash shouted happily. "She's finally starting to fight!"  
  
James looked less pleased. "Look closer, twerp."  
  
He did. "Is that guy...dead?"  
  
James didn't answer, he wasn't sure at all. The body of the man she'd hit looked completely still, and it shone with in eerie purple glow that might have killed or might have paralyzed the guy, James couldn't tell.  
  
The intruder's partner didn't look so shocked. "You should have handed her over before you messed with it!" he shouted at Morada. "You have no idea what program you activated!"  
  
The android turned to face this man as well. "Traitor identified." She said it again, and lifted her arm once more. This time, energy seemed to filter into the port, rather than out. Her weapon was charging, the trespasser didn't have much time.  
  
Morada poked her head out from behind heracross. "It looks like," she said, smirking just a little, "That I activated a program for her to blast all those who betrayed Team Rocket. Seems pretty good in our situation, dontcha think?"  
  
The man couldn't answer. The weapon hit him first.  
  
The last man with a "V" on his shirt looked a little paniky, but still ready to fight. He tossed something at the android-a small, gray cylinder-and she stared at the thing for a moment before saying. "Neutralizer identified." She jumped out of the way just as cylinder started to screech, and emit an odd pulse. The intruder cursed.  
  
"Traitor Identified." The weapon powered up once more.  
  
The man in dark clothing turned to Morada with a hateful glare. "Yeah, you started the traitor extermination program all right," he growled. Morada was still smirking. "But that guy," he motioned to James, "Isn't he a traitor too?" The smirk froze, and became a look of realization and shock.   
  
"How do I stop the program!?" she yelled, but the weapon fired and the man fell. "Oh no... James! Run!"  
  
Lucky for James, five men-five Rocket men-entered the cabin and distracted the android Jessie. (although, it was only a minorly lucky curcumstance)  
  
"Okay, James, you know who we're here for," said one of the Rockets. "Don't pick a fight and you won't have to worry about your safety."   
  
"Sorry," he glared at the agent who appeared to be the leader of the group. "I'm not letting her go."  
  
The agent smiled. "Don't you think that's up to her to decide?" he asked nonchalantly. "Come here, Jessica Miyamoto," he ordered, and James didn't like the way he'd said her name one bit.   
  
She lowered her arm, and the weapon retracted itself. "Identify yourself."  
  
"I am Level Four Scout Division Leader Wallace," he said clearly.   
  
There was a pause, then, "Confirmed." The android walked towards the man.  
  
  
  
::Wallace? Who's Wallace? Never met him before... Why is this body taking orders from him?::  
  
"Jessie no!" Morgan, James. "Don't listen to that guy, come back here!"  
  
:: I want to! I don't want to go with Wallace, but my body's not listening... ::  
Visual processors confirm: Morgan, James is a Team Rocket deserter. Traitors must be destroyed as per orders. Activating Plasma Rifle.  
  
::No! This body...it's not real...it's beyond my control... Why? I don't want to shoot James! James found me! I don't want to go with Wallace! Why won't my body listen to me!? ::   
  
"Traitor Identified." Powering up Plasma Rifle. Charging...charging...  
  
:: NO! No, no, no, no!! I don't want to shoot James! Stop it! STOP IT NOW!!::  
  
Charging...  
  
::DON'T!::  
  
  
  
Some guy came rushing into the underground shelter. "Butch!" he yelled, waving a floppy disk like a crazed maniac. "We gotta go! Gotta get out there now!!"  
  
Misty looked up as the guy entered, and as he dropped the disk to grab Butch by the collar, she picked the thing up.   
  
"We gotta get them before they're too far off to catch!" the man cried in Butch's face.  
  
"Hold it, Deija!" Butch shouted, removing the hands from his collar. "Get who?"  
  
"And what's this?" Misty added, holding up the disk.  
  
"That," Deija stated proudly, plucking it from Misty's fingers, "Is an intercepted transmission from the Base in Mahogany to the estate in Seafoam. A transport truck left the Rocket prison with some top priority inmates. Mondo thinks some of our partners are inside-including Lyn, Jessie, and Cassidy!"  
  
"What!?" Butch grabbed Deija's collar this time. "Are you sure?"  
  
Getting tired of the redundancy of it all, Misty separated the two. "Stop double checking everything and lets get going!" she snapped. "I don't believe I'm saying this, but let's rescue Jessie."   
  
Butch gave Deija a careful look. "The real Jessie? Or 01?"  
  
"The real one."  
  
Misty felt confused. "01? What's that?" But she got no answer.   
  
"Stay here, Twerp," Butch called, rushing up the ladder. "There's a directory in one of the drawers. Call up James, tell him not to worry. We'll get Jessie out, safe and sound-if Cassidy hasn't already killed her...or vice versa."   
  
"Um...Okay," Misty consented, moving towards the cabinet to search.   
  
"But you have to go to the pokemon centere to call," Deija yelled from the trap door. "Lines are all tapped here."  
  
"Are you sure I can't come?"  
  
"We can't let anyone know you're helping us. It's too dangerous to the mission and for you. Just meet us back here, k?"  
  
"Oh, all right..." Misty mumbled, and she heard the door close. "Oh well..." she sighed. "I suppose I'm just a romantic at heart. (Somewhere, miles away, Ash coughed) James'll be happy when he knows Jessie's all right, and maybe he'll know were Ash is, or at least what 01 is..."  
  
  
  
"James, if you stand down, I'll order her to stop," Wallace smiled at him. James glared back, but said nothing. "Hmph," Wallace grunted, turning to his associates. "He's one of ~those~ guys. Take a lesson from me, boys, and never fall in love with your partner."  
  
There was snickering from the Rocket side, a "eew" from Ash, and an "aawww" from Morada. The Android appeared to have no effect...  
  
  
  
Charging...   
  
::STOP CHARGING!! I don't want to hurt anyone!::  
  
88% Charged and rising.  
  
:: Oh no...my body will probably kill him...why doesn't he run!? ::  
  
"See what I'm talking about, James?" Wallace. "Love gets you killed."  
  
:: Love? What's that? ::  
searching... searching... definition: found. Love: a strong, emotional bond with another. 2- caring deeply for a family member 3- caring deeply for a non blood relative, often resulting in mirage 4- physical attraction or passion towards another.  
  
::I don't understand...::  
  
94% Charged and rising.  
  
:: Does James "love" the person I'm supposed to be? ::  
  
96.8% charged and rising.  
  
:: I want to understand... ::  
  
98% charged and rising.  
  
:: I want to understand!!... ::  
  
99% charged...  
  
"I WANT TO UNDERSTAND!!"  
  
Wallace picked up his radio communicator. "Boss? It's starting."  
  
  
100% charged, preparing to fire.  
  
  
  
Tbc. 


	8. they're making me title my chapters now ...

"I WANT TO UNDERSTAND!!"  
  
Wallace picked up his radio communicator. "Boss? It's starting."  
  
  
100% charged, preparing to fire.  
  
James heard the bang from the gun, a loud electrical screech, and he closed his eyes while wincing. But the pain never came. When she'd screamed, the android's body had lurched upward, sending the stream of energy from the gun into the ceiling. Then she collapsed.  
  
"Pikachu thunderbolt!" Ash yelled while he had the Rocket's distracted. The lights blew out and five more rockets learned the art of "blasting off" in a matter of seconds. "All right!" Ash shouted happily, he and his mouse giving a victory sign. "We sure showed them, didn't we everybody?" A cascade of pokemon noises agreed with him before returning to their pokeballs.   
  
He was feeling quite proud of himself, until Morada and James yelled out "YOU IDIOT!" and with the help of the animators grew fangs and very large heads.   
  
"What!? Whadidido?" Ash pouted while pikachu cowered behind his knee.  
  
"Didn't you hear that Wallace guy?" James explained. "He'd contacted the Boss. He said 'It's starting' which is obviously some kind of important information if he has a DIRECT line to the head of Team Rocket."  
  
Ash straightened up a bit, determined not be afraid of James of all people. "So what's your point?"  
  
"You obviously had the upper hand in this fight," Morada stated, although she seemed to be preoccupied with the android who'd collapsed onto the floor. "What are you? The Fruit Basket champion or something? (Ash coughed, but it sounded suspiciously like "Orange League") Those guys were just scouts who were lucky enough to find us. Their pokemon didn't stand a chance, and, well..." she cast a look at the men epporvessing with a purple glow on the floor, "nobody did," she finished.   
  
Ash still looked confused.   
  
"We could have threatened them for information!" James shouted. "Wallace said 'It's starting'-we could have found out what 'it' is!"  
  
Seeing his point, but determined not to have blame focused on him, Ash decided to divert their attention to more pressing matters. "Well it seems pretty obvious," he said, putting his hands on his hips, "that 'it' has something to do with the way that andromometer ("ANDROID!" screeched Morada) flipped out."  
  
"Er..." Morada bit her lip, "he's probably right. I mean did you hear what she said?"  
  
James whirled around and stared at them-the short, annoying girl and a limp, false replica of his best friend. "It couldn't be her..." he said, voice low. "The Boss must have been trying to trick me so I wouldn't look for the real Jessie-that...that THING can't possibly be her..." Sure the real Jessie would insult him, try to hurt him, et cetera, but she'd never try to kill him-threaten his life, definitely, but never actually try.  
  
"O-kaaaaaaaay," Morada said, crossing her arms and looking impatient. "You are totally not seeing my point. No offense James, but I don't give a damn who she is at all. She could be the freaking queen of Prussia for all I know or care-real Jessie or fake one, it makes no difference to me." James looked minorly offended, because it obviously mattered more to him than anything, but she didn't give him time to respond before moving on. "But what we have to focus on people, is that she is NOT real. Okay? We've established that much. Now I'll ask it again: did-you-hear-what-she-said!?"   
  
James was still staring at the android. He had to admit, that right now he'd never have seen the difference if he didn't already know. It looked like Jessie-like Jessie would look if she'd fallen down asleep on the floor in hideous clothing (not to mention covered in metal accessories), but Jessie nonetheless. But knowing it wasn't Jessie added to his discomfort-where was the real one? And why did the Boss want him to think that this replica was actually his best friend? There must be something in it for his former employer...  
  
"JAMES!" Morada was yelling now, getting rather frustrated. "DID YOU HEAR WHAT SHE SAID?!"  
  
He clenched his fists. This wasn't Jessie, this wasn't Jessie, this was NOT his Jessie-he'd convinced himself of that. Now he didn't have to feel any guilt for hating this machine. "Of course I heard her!" he snapped back. "She called me a traitor to Team Rocket and then fired some kinda gun at me!"  
  
"No..." the girl pressed. "AFTER that."  
  
Ash thought back for a moment. "She yelled out 'I want to understand' and-"  
  
"YES!" Morada cried. "Your getting it! Now do you realize what happened back there?"  
  
Ash and pikachu exchanged looks. "She missed hitting James and gave you a new skylight?"  
  
"NO!-I mean yes, but that's not the point!" Morada yelled, then looked upward at the gaping hole in her ceiling. "Aw man...that's gonna take forever to fix...broke right through the second story..."  
  
"Umm..." James tentatively tried to get her attention. He'd learned that although she wasn't as violent as Jessie, when angry Morada's voice went several decibels louder and it was very hard on the ears. "What exactly IS your point?"  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah..." she said, coming back to Earth. "She said 'I want'. She never said anything like that before. 'I'. She's referring to herself like a person-and the fact that she wants something...artificial intelligence... What I'm trying to say is that computer's don't want things. Computers need things, but there's nothing they want. Something happened when she tried-and failed-to kill James. Something that made her... I dunno what to say. She referred to herself as 'I' instead of '01' or whatever, then she collapsed without any forewarning of shutting down, there must have been some kind of cascade failure in her systems..."  
  
"Um...what?" Ash tried, starting to notice that Morada was going off into her own little world and muttering to herself about repairs.  
  
"Get me my laptop," She ordered, standing up and pacing the room as she mumbled things under her breath. When Ash handed her the computer, she seemed rather surprised to see him. "Huh? Oh yeah...I have a theory as to what's wrong. Gimmie a sec..." she began to hook the wires up to the nodes on the android's forehead and neck.   
  
  
James was growing impatient. "We don't have a 'sec'. We have to get out of here-Team Rocket and...those other people know where we are!"  
  
"Who, them?" Morada pointed to the glowing bodies. "They're not warning anybody."  
  
"But what about Team Rocket!?"   
  
"Oh relax, we've got plenty of time till they can show up with enough forces to battle our little psycho killer here," she smiled, patting the android's head and getting some looks from James and Ash.   
  
Her laptop suddenly started beeping. "Ah!" Morada looked slightly pleased with herself, and a tad freaked out. "I was...right."  
  
"Is that good?" Ash whispered to James, who shrugged in response.  
  
"Okay. You remember that firewall?" Morada tried to explain.   
  
James thought he know what she was talking about. "The one that won't let us access her memory files? That won't let HER access her own memory files?"  
  
"Uh huh," Morada confirmed. "Well it's coming down. When she screamed-that's when it happened. Something from behind the firewall broke free, and now the whole wall is coming down-and it turns out there's more than just memory files behind it."  
  
"Well then what IS behind the firewall?" Ash asked. He moved a step closed to look at the computer, but it made no sense to him.  
  
"My theory was... and this confirms it," Morada explained. "That the reason she referred to herself as 'I' is that her personality programming was trapped behind the wall. And now...well...it got out."  
  
There was silence in the room for a moment, then James asked, "Well what does that mean?"  
  
Morada shrugged and closed her laptop. "I dunno...we'll just have to wait for her to start up again. She had to reboot after such a shock to her system...should start up again in a few hours."  
  
"Well we should get as big a start as possible," Ash reminded her.  
  
James nodded. "I really don't know where to hide from Team Rocket...but we should get to the car and--"  
  
"No time for dat, Jimmy!" came a familiar voice from overhead.  
  
James, Ash, and Morada looked up to see the faces of two Meowths. One peering down at them from the new "skylight", and the other a hundred times larger and floating in the sky as a hot air balloon.   
  
  
  
  
Collin opened his eyes and winced. His companions seemed to still be unconscious, as was his Scyther. That kid's ivysour sure had done a number on them; he felt as if there were twenty broken bones underneath the V on his shirt.   
  
He lay face upward on the ground outside the Rocket girl's cabin. Head pounding and eyes blurry, he could only make out the shape of the roof but he remembered what the house looked like well enough. It had been the kind of house he and Doris had planned on living in, after they quit Team Rocket of course. But that would never happen. Doris was dead, and the leader of Team Rocket had killed her. And that man would pay-whoever he was. He would pay when Vicious came to power.  
  
Collin couldn't wait to get his revenge on his former employer...and all that needed to be done was get the android. That android...that machine...that monster. He'd use her and all her abilities to destroy the life and establishment of "the Boss". And James... he was furious at James. How dare he defend that thing! Had the man really turned his back on Jessie? Collin had been so sure that James cared for his partner they way he had Doris. He'd expected James's support in this...but he might have to die as well.   
  
As his eyes finally began to focus, he couldn't believe what his saw. Straight ahead-right above him that is, since he was laying down-was a hot air balloon. Not just any hot air balloon, but the Meowth balloon-hadn't that gone out of commission years ago? That cat...he must be doing something behind Vicious's back...  
  
Grunting, Collin rose to his feet and returned Scyther to its pokeball. His two companions were still unconscious, but he decided not to wake them, for they would only get in his way later on. Wincing with each step, he began to follow the balloon.   
  
  
  
Professor Oak, Mrs. Ketchum, Brock, and Tracey were all walking up a downtown street in Viridian City, looking like a particularly odd group. Odd took an even bigger standing as Tracey saw sketching everything he saw, saying he wanted to "capture the way Brock gets dumped by every woman he approaches". Meanwhile, Professor Oak was trying to make sense of all the new teen fashions, and Mrs. Ketchum seemed to be the only one keeping their mission in mind-but it was hard to stay focused because she kept getting confused.   
"If Ash was last seen in Newbark, but Misty is either in Viridian City or Mahogany Town, when and how were they separated?" she asked the professor.  
  
"I don't know. Perhaps we should ask officer Jenny if she knows anything," he replied. He turned to the younger boys to tell them they were going to the police station, but as he saw Tracey dragging Brock away from a screaming young lady he figured it would be best if Jenny didn't see him. "Let's split up," he suggested.  
  
"That's an excellent idea," Tracey gushed. "Who should go where?"  
  
"Brock and Tracey should probably try to find the last known whereabouts of Team Rocket, and Mrs. Ketchum and I will go..." he gave Brock a suspicious look, "somewhere else."  
  
When the older members of the party were out of the way, and Brock had sufficiently given up girlfriend hunting, he and Tracey were ready to begin their investigation. "Where should we go first?" Tracey asked. "Should we ask around and see if anybody's seen Team Rocket?"  
  
"Let's try the Pokemon Centere," Brock suggested. "Even Team Rocket have to heal their pokemon, maybe Nurse Joy knows something."  
  
A half hour and a bad pickup line later...  
  
"Team Rocket used to come around Viridian City quite a lot," explained Nurse Joy. "They're were two well known members that always caused a lot of trouble-Jessie and James I think. But they stopped showing up here when a little boy with a Pikachu and an angry red headed child blew them out of the Centre. Destroyed the roof completely."  
  
"So Jessie and James hung out in Viridian City before they met Ash..." Brock noted. As interesting as that was, it wasn't relevant to their present situation.   
  
"But there were other members of Team Rocket who kept coming even after Jessie and James," Nurse Joy continued.   
  
Tracey looked confused. "Other members of Team Rocket?" he asked. "Like Butch and Cassidy?"  
  
"No," Joy shook her head. "I don't know any more names, but I'm sure I would have remembered those. Just a few agents here and there, but then the Gym mysteriously exploded..." (Tracey looked perplexed as Brock blushed and sweat dropped) "And they all but disappeared. The last of them left when a building in the forest exploded under mysterious circumstances ("that wasn't us" Brock muttered ) and the strangest thing is, some people say it was a U.F.O. shaped like a strange cat that destroyed the building-one boy even claimed that it was the legendary Mew, but I don't believe that."  
  
"Nurse Joy," Tracey pressed on, "could you tell us where this building is?"  
  
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. All I know is that it's in the Viridian Forest somewhere."  
  
"That's all right," Brock assured her, "We'll find it."  
  
"Oh, please be careful then," Nurse Joy warned. "Rumor has it-it used to be a Team Rocket base, but lately trainers have been getting robbed in the forest by men with 'V's on their shirts." She couldn't tell if the boys had heard her, they were already out the door.  
  
  
  
"Aww he's so cute! Morada gushed, sharing her brother's affinity for cat type pokemon. Meowth wasn't complaining as he sat her lap getting pet, and listening to James and Ash tell the story of what had happened so far.   
  
"So some guy told me to pick up a dilevery of some sort, and you should have seen the money he offered for its delivery!" James was saying. "And I was going along all right, until I hit a pothole and something broke. When I went back to the cargo hold, I found princess over there..." he pointed to the android.  
  
"James," Meowth interrupted carefully. "Is she...?"  
  
"Jessie? No. But the Boss had me thinking it was really her for a while..." he continued, and Meowth settled back down into Morada's lap but continued to eye the motionless android. "So anyway, I called up Mondo and he said to see Morada. But before I got there I ran into the Twerp, so he tagged along looking for his little whiney friend-"  
  
"Misty!" Ash interrupted. "Can't you ever say our names?"  
  
"No," James and Meowth smiled and Ash sighed, giving up.  
  
James went on with his story. "So we found Morada, activated the android, and it turns out that it's no accident that she looks like Jessie-that thing was assigned to BE Jessie." Meowth looked uncomfortable. "But anyway, I talked to the Boss, and he definitely is after something, but I don't know what. He tried to make me think that she," once again, the machine was motioned to, "was the real thing. I'm a bit ashamed to say I actually believed him for a bit..."   
  
James trailed off right there, remembering something of importance. The Boss had closed their discussion with "I'll see you soon". That most definitely was not a good sign, but he didn't have time to dwell on the thought before Meowth pressed him to get on with the story.  
  
"Well anyway," he continued, regaining his composure, "some guys came to take her-half were from Team Rocket, but I have no idea where the other half came from. They had 'V's on their shirts..." once again, Meowth shifted uncomfortably, but James didn't notice. "Then, while we were fighting, she tried to shoot me but missed because according to Morada some fiurewalll went down and made her flip out."  
  
"Uh-oh," Meowth muttered, and that time James noticed. He eyed Meowth carefully as he brought his story to a close.  
  
"So Meowth," he urged, "What have you been up to since I quit the Team."  
  
Hastily Meowth stood up on Morada's lap and gave an obviously uncomfortable laugh, one paw behind his head and sweatdropping. "Ha ha ha...It's a long story, James, so we probably oughta let da Twerp have his turn before I start."  
  
James didn't like this much at all. Meowth was obviously stalling-why else would he care what happened to the Twerp over the years? That cat was hiding something... thoughts like this brought an interesting and important question to mind: where was this balloon headed anyway?   
  
But the Twerp had already started off on his own mantra, and James began nodding off just a little with so many stories of how he clobbered all his opponents in pokemon battle. Finally, Ash got to the important part. "So when I woke up, Misty was gone. I searched around a bit, but all I found was a guy who said he'd a van drive off in the middle of the night and the driver was wearing an 'R'," Ash was saying. "It really surprised me, since I hadn't heard from Jessie and James in years, so I went to Officer Jenny to see if she knew anything. She said lots of people had been dieeapearing all over within the past year or so-but according to James it was five years ago when this whole thing started. So I got a list of the names of missing people, and I was in Newbark because that's where the most recent disappearances took place and I thought I oughta ask the families of the victims if they knew anything that could help me find Misty. But I ran into James instead and decided to help out, but I still gotta find Misty. I don't have any more time to deal with this android stuff, so as soon as we land I'm gonna go look for her again."  
  
"It seems to me," Morada said, "That if James is looking for Jessie, and Jessie and Misty's disappearances are connected, you two should team up to look for your girlfriends."  
  
After the resounding and obvious display of denial from the boys about their love for the girls, Morada continued.  
  
"Anyway, When was the last time you guys slept?" she asked James and Ash.  
  
Ash stared upward as he thought, and James seemed to be calculating time in his head. All the events went by so fast that time seemed smashed together and he was confused. "Night before last," James finally answered.  
  
Morada looked at Ash, who replied he'd had a nap earlier that day, but it hadn't been for very long. "Then everyone oughta go to sleep," she instructed. "Like this cute wittle kitty over here!" she cooed at Meowth who, James could tell, was pretending to nap.   
  
"All right..." James muttered, actually very tired but he wasn't planning on sleeping. After everyone else nodded off, he could talk to Meowth.  
  
  
  
Jessie woke up as she felt the truck suddenly stop moving. The brakes screeched, and without seatbelts, the girls in the back were thrown to one end and landed in a heap. There were voices outside, and they sounded angry.   
  
"Agghh... what's going on?" Raquel growled, trying to wriggle free of the mass of tangled bodies she'd been so unlucky as to get underneath. "We couldn't possibly be at the port yet. Are we or are we not going to Seafoam?"  
  
Jessie, through crashing experience, was lucky enough to land almost on top of the pile. She was pleased to see that she sat on Cassidy's stomach, but Doris had her legs trapped. "We're going to Seafoam, but we're obviously not there."  
  
"Get offa me!" Cassidy finally screeched.  
  
"I can't until Doris moves!"  
  
"I'm stuck! Tiara move your arm..."  
  
"My arms are tied together, moron, that's not me-"  
  
"OW! Watch it!"  
  
"Raquel-"  
  
"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Lyn screamed, her patience snapping like a thin rope. She jerked her body and rolled over, kicking Tiara and knocking her off the pile. The whole mess crashed down, and the girls ended up well enough sprawled in various places on the floor of the truck. "Now..." Lyn groaned, trying to sit up straight despite her bonds. "Be quiet-there's something going on outside."  
The group hushed and listened to the voices.  
  
"Hypno, use hypnosis-we'll interrogate 'em later."  
  
"Somebody get the keys-I think they're still in the ignition-"  
  
"Got em-"  
  
"You sure thee girls are in there, Mondo? I don't want a bunch of wild pokemon jumping out at me when I open the door-"  
  
Jessie straightened. Mondo? And one of those other voices was obviously Butch... "We're in here!" she shouted. "Mondo! Bot-er, I mean Butch, get us out!"   
The other girls soon joined in their yelling. It took a few minutes, but the boys outside finally opened the door.  
  
"Miss Jessie!" Mondo cried happily, jumping into the cargo hold and eagerly untying her. "Is it the real y-"  
  
"It's really me, Mondo," she assured him. "I don't know what happened to 01." Mondo helped her to her feet and turned to the others as she hopped down from the truck.   
  
"01?" she heard Cassidy ask. "We'll explain later," Mondo assured her.  
  
Jessie looked around. Two Rocket agents who, she guessed, had been driving the truck lay asleep on the ground. She didn't have much time to see more, for the group that rescued her and the others quickly crowded round her.   
"Is she the real one? Could be that watchacallit..." somebody poked her.  
  
"Hey!" Jessie screamed, punching the man who'd pinched her. "I'm the real Jessie!" The man who'd been hit had easily skidded four or five feet, eyes spiraling.  
  
"Ah! It's gotta be 01, look what she did to Mason!" somebody yelled.  
  
"You imbecile," a girl chided him, "that's how Jessie really punches-can you teach me that, Jess?"  
  
But Jessie wasn't paying attention to them. Standing on tiptoe, she watched over the heads of the small crowd as the other girls climbed out of the truck.   
First came Lyn, she sprang from the cargo hold with a running jump, stood up straight where she landed, and began to frantically look around. Finally somebody's voice caught her attention, and a man ran up and hugged her, swinging her around once and kissing her on the cheek. Jessie smirked. She didn't know the guy but she guessed it was Deija, Lyn's partner who she raved about.  
  
Cassidy emerged next, and Butch ran to meet her. Both were casting uncomfortable glances at Lyn and Deija, obviously too embarrassed to mimic the display although it seemed as if they wanted too. Jessie felt the urge to yell at Cassidy to give Butch a kiss, but Elsie beat her to it as she hopped out of the car-pushed an uncomfortable Butch and Cassidy closer together-and began to leer at the first guy she saw.   
Raquel and Tiara came out together, the latter in a huffy mood and the former smiling shyly at the boy who came to greet her. She had to like him. Raquel was never shy.  
  
Doris and Mondo exited the truck at the same time. Doris turned her head from side to side as she searched the small group, but at last she quit the effort looking considerably disappointed. She turned to Mondo said something to which he replied with a shake of his head, and she stalked off away from the others looking put off.   
  
"What's wrong with her?" Jessie muttered to herself, but a short girl with shaggy, maroon hair overheard.  
  
"Oh I bet she expected Collin to be here," said the girl. She was short, and only came up to Jessie's shoulder.  
  
Jessie looked down at the girl. "Collin?"  
  
"Her partner. I heard they were gonna get married..." came the reply, and the tone sounded sympathetic. "Poor guy, I think he went nuts."  
  
"Collin did?"  
  
"Yeah. Felt sure she was dead-Doris that is. He quit the Team, swore revenge on the Boss and all the usual stuff. Haven't heard from him since."  
  
Jessie wanted to ask more, but decided to go right to the source instead. She tried to break free from the group, but they impounded her with questions once more.  
  
"Where's the Boss keeping the others?"  
  
"The Boss IS behind all this, isn't he?"  
  
"What's he gonna do with the folks he kidnapped?"  
  
"Jessie-did you see my partner? His name's Anthony-"  
  
"Mine's name's Mary, didja see her?"  
  
"OK! OK!" she heard Butch's obvious voice ring through. "Leave her alone-she's gonna tell us everything at once when we're all together. There's no use in repeating everything a bunch of times, so give her room to breathe!" She saw him trying to push past the small mob, Cassidy trailing close behind. Soon enough, Jessie felt her ex best friend grab her arm roughly and pull her away from the group and over to Butch.   
  
"I don't see why everyone's so interested in HER," she muttered bitterly, pointing at Jessie. "I'm here too, ya know."  
  
Butch gave an exasperated sigh, but Jessie noticed he hadn't stopped smiling since she'd seen him. "Everyone'll be filled in about everything as soon as we get back to our base. We can't stay out here on the open road too long-you up for storytelling, Jessie?"   
  
"No problem," she replied, flashing her trademark grin. Being the center of attention was never a problem for her at all. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Doris, taking up the rear of the odd little caravan. Sending Cassidy a look, she walked away from her rivals. "I'll catch up with you when we get to base or whatever."  
  
It took a bit, for Doris turned twice to avoid her, but Jessie finally got next to the woman who was trying to hide her tears. "If this is about Collin, you shouldn't let him get to you," she said, trying her best to be sensitive which was saying a lot.   
  
"What about Collin?" she snapped, hunching her shoulders and hiding her face behind frizzy hair.   
  
"Ha! Denial," Jessie smirked. "Look, James isn't here and you don't see me crying, do you?"  
  
Almost unexpectedly, Doris stopped short and turned to face her. Her face was close, and Jessie could see every last horrible detail that showed the woman's sorrow. "But you want to, don't you?"  
  
Jessie felt herself on the spot at that moment. Her face grew almost stern. "Maybe I do-just a little. But I don't and I probably can't. I've faked crying dozens of times when it seemed appropriate, but I honestly don't remember the last time I cried in all seriousness. I doubt it if I could start again." Seeing that this didn't console the woman at all, Jessie continued, "He thinks you're dead. Somebody mentioned it to me-Look, I'm sure if he knew you'd be here Collin would've shown."  
  
There was a long pause. "And James?" Doris finally replied. "Does he think you're dead too?"  
  
Once again, that pause as Jessie felt something prick behind her eyes. It was almost as if those impossible tears wanted to come, but of course they did not. "No," she finally answered. The graveness of her own voice surprised her. "He thinks I'm something else entirely."   
  
  
  
Ash couldn't sleep. Due to the cramped quarters of the balloon, he was crammed between an uncomfortably bony doctor and a surprisingly soft android that would make a beeping noise every so often. Despite the discomfort, Ash leaned closer to Morada for he found the machine a bit eerie. Something that looked alive-it even breathed! -but really wasn't...it was so creepy in the dead of night with nowhere to run.  
  
"Nn...?" Morada muttered as Ash leaned against her shoulder, waking her. "Missin' cuddlin' with yer girlfriend, sonny?"  
  
"What? Gross!" Ash hissed, trying not to wake anyone else. "Misty's not my girlfriend, she..." he wasn't sure what to say next, he was getting too old for the cooties excuse. "I don't cuddle with her," he muttered defiantly.   
  
Sighing, Morada leaned back against the wicker basket. "I give it two years-till you change your tune that is."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Nevermind."   
  
There was silence for a bit, and Ash thought she'd fallen asleep but then she asked, "Can't sleep, huh?"  
  
"Yeah..." he answered. "I usually look at the stars at night, but that big Meowth head's in the way. I'd need to sit up to see over the side, and I think if I left my spot I'd never get comfortable again."  
  
"Nn..." she murmured in agreement. "So what do you do? Pokemon training? I assume that's the infamous pikachu," she pointed to his best friend, asleep, curled up in the android's hair.   
  
"Infamous? To Jessie and James I suppose it is," Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I'm a pokemon trainer." Then, with more enthusiasm, "I'm gonna be the best pokemon master ever!"  
  
Morada laughed out loud. "So says every trainer your age. You're probably an optimist. Good for you-you'll live longer."  
  
Ash was confused. "So what are you?"  
  
"A realist."  
  
He considered this. "Really I'd think you'd be an optimist too. You need a positive attitude to be a doctor-you can't help anybody if you don't believe you can!"  
  
She chuckled once more. "Ah Ash, maybe you're actually an idealist," she smiled. "In an ideal world, all the doctors would want to help people and they would. I'm not one of those-it's not why I became a doctor."  
  
Now he was really confused. "If you didn't do it to help people, why did you become a doctor?"  
  
Morada, whose eyes had been closed, opened one eye to examine him with. "People usually become doctors for three reasons: one, they want to help. A romantic idea, don't you think? Two, the money-I'll admit it, I've got plenty in the bank. And three, a genuine interest in the human body."  
  
This seemed to make sense. "Which is you're reason?" Ash asked.  
  
"Pure, simple, curiosity," she answered with a defiant smile. "That's why I work for Team Rocket. I don't have the patience to deal with rules and protocol. The Rocket's equipment is way more advanced, and I can study more with it and do what I want. It may not be morally sound, but it keeps my curiosity satisfied."  
  
Ash was skeptical. "That doesn't sound like the best reason to become a doctor."  
  
Smiling only a little now, but enough, she closed the enquiring eye and seemed ready to settle down to finally sleep. "We don't live in an ideal world, Ash. The good guys don't always win..." it seemed like she would leave him with that fault, but she spoke again only to order him to sleep, which he did, but his rest was uneasy.  
  
  
Finally, James heard the Twerp's and Morada's breathing even out. It was lucky, for if he had to sit still with his eyes closed much longer he'd be sure to fall asleep as well. "Meowth," he hissed at the cat. The pokemon's ears twitched a bit, and he lifted his head.   
  
"Interestin reunion, eh James?" he smiled.  
  
"Yeah..." James answered. "I haven't seen you since I quit. What have you been up to?"  
  
Meowth looked uneasy. "Dis and dat," he replied, obviously hiding something. "I'll fill yuz in later, but dere ain't much time. I reserved a room in a hotel-Meowth's gotta run as soon as we land, but I'll be back. I'll explain everything in da morning, Jim, but for now you have ta keep da prototype hidden."  
  
"How did you know about..." he trailed off right there. She'd need a new name, for he was most definitely NOT going to call her Jessie again-he already felt so guilty for doing so before.   
  
"I told ya, I'll explain later."  
  
"Where are we heading?"  
  
"Viridian City."  
  
"What's there?" James asked, feeling it had some significance. "Wait a sec...that's where the buyer is-for the android!" He tried to quiet himself down so he wouldn't wake the others. "Are you INSANE, Meowth? Or have you actually gotten so greedy you'd turn in the one link I have to Jessie!?"  
  
"No, no!" Meowth insisted, defensively waving his paws. "It's nothing like dat! In fact, if dat buyer gets a hold of her then he'll use it as a template to build more androids. I'm trying to protect dat ting from him!"  
  
James's mind was racing too fast for James to keep up. "What would he want with an army of androids?"  
  
"Dat's the key word dere-army," replied the cat. "He wants an army of machines because his enemy's got one."  
  
James froze. "There's MORE of...of...THOSE?!" he thrust an angry finger at the Jessie replica. James couldn't help but wonder, did the others look like Jessie?"  
  
Meowth nodded. "Plenty more, but day need dat one," he signified the motionless one on the floor of the basket, "before anyting can happen."  
  
"But why-"  
  
"Let Meowth finish!" the cat hissed. "There's something in the program-that defect that you saw back in the cabin--oh I was planning on explaining all dis in da mornin'. Besides, we're here." James looked over the side of the balloon and saw he was right. Below were the nighttime lights of Viridian City, and they were coming ever closer as the balloon descended.   
  
"Meowth, how come you know all this stuff?" James asked catiuously. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what the cat had gotten himself into this time, but he was worried. "How could you know about the buyer? I don't even know who it is."  
  
There was a long pause. "It's Vicious," Meowth finally replied, head down. "Vicious, formerly elite member of da Team Rocket. Now, he's da traitor to da Boss. He started his own Team. Dose guys with the 'V's on deir shirts..."  
  
All the shocks of the evening had accumulated enough that James took this one in with hardly a show of emotion. "How do you know?"  
  
The longest pause yet. "He's my new master."  
  
  
Tbc.  
  
  
Author's note: perhaps I should explain something for those who do not yet know the plot of the 4th movie. Vicious is the elite member of TR who is out to get Celebii, and in the movie he comments that he hopes to become future leader of TR. In Japanese, his name is pronounced Bishasu, but it translates to Vicious in Katakana. I chose him because he seemed an appropriate rival for the Boss.   
  
Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far and please continue to do so! I love your feedback ^_^  
  
Next chapter will, hopefully, be one of those info chapters that clears up a lot of the plot questions-but not all of them of course ^_~ because what fun would it be if you knew everything before the ending?  
  
Oh yeah, Misty fans please don't be mad at me. She wasn't important in this chapter but she's a key player in the next chapter. I'm finally getting to the point where I can put in more Jessie so don't worry I didn't forget any of the characters. 


	9. i don't title chapters because the last ...

The first flicks of morning light crept through the curtains and with his excellent streak of luck, landed on James's eyes. He groaned and rose, sore but refreshed. Meowth had only been able to discreetly get one room, and Morada had the bed. James, being taller, got the couch but it was too uncomfortable and he'd moved to the floor. In his place, Ash snored loudly on the sofa.   
  
Moving over to the window, he stared through crack in the curtains. The Viridian City was still dead at this hour, far too early to be moving off to work. Right now, normal people were having their coffee, taking their showers, and reading their papers. A normal man of his age might be eating breakfast, and his wife would come in and kiss him good morning.   
  
James was jealous. He wanted that man to be him, he wanted that wife to be Jessie. Secretly he knew he'd never be completely happy in a normal life. Would he mind living honestly? No, it would be a welcome change. But normal? What a pain. For James, normal would be a vacation to enjoy for a bit, but never to stay. He didn't want an office job, he didn't want a desk, and he certainly didn't want to work nine to five and come home to see some normal woman cleaning the house.   
  
No, what James wanted was simple: Jessie. The adventurous Jessie that never took no for answer, who loved to show off, who reveled in her fighting power, and who knew just how beautiful she was. After her, who could possibly settle for normal? No-why settle for normal when you could do so much better? That something better...as soon as he got her back, they would find it, together.  
  
"Can you not sleep, James?" her voice, but not her tone. James turned around to see the android sitting on the bed by the snoring Morada, staring at him.   
  
He'd forgotten Morada said she'd wake-no, reactivate--in a few hours, and time was up. The android didn't sleep, of course, so who knew how long she'd been there. "No," he answered her, still uneasy. "I had enough rest to last me." He knew he was frowning, but he wasn't sure if she saw the significance of it. His anger was coming back-this thing, this imposter meant to mimic the only person that mattered... he hated it. As soon as he could James resolved to ask Morada to give the thing a new voice, new eyes et cetera. He didn't care what she looked or sounded like, as long as it was nothing at all like Jessie.   
  
But still, something had happened to that thing back at the cabin. When she'd tried to kill him... "How are you feeling?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"I feel well," came the answer. That was strange, different from before. Morada was right, something had happened to her. She's said 'I', not to mention she said that she ~felt~. "I have complete control over my body now. I must apologize; I was unable to override in time the program that made me kill those men."  
  
She...apologized? No...no, no, no...this was just too weird. Jessie's voice, Jessie's person, saying she was sorry... James knew his best friend was not completely devoid of emotion, but the real Jessie had always been a proud woman, difficult to get an apology out of. "F-forget about it," James stuttered.   
  
"Deleting file-"  
  
"NO!" James yelled to stop her. Morada mumbled something but didn't move, and Ash stirred, rolled off the couch, but did not wake. "It's just an expression. It means you're forgiven."  
  
She paused, seeming to be adding the new information to her...well it wasn't a brain. "All right." There was silence, and she continued to stare, as if expecting him to do something. Finally she spoke again, "Do I have instructions?"  
  
"Pardon?" James asked, puzzled.   
  
"I have been created to serve a purpose," the android informed him. "That purpose is not accessible by any Team Rocket personnel except for the one designated as 'Boss'. However, a machine should not be running with out a use. I'd prefer to remain running, but I require instructions."  
  
She wanted a purpose? But how...machines didn't want things, Morada said so and obviously that was true, but this... After that accident in the cabin, when she'd unexplainably shut down after that scream, she seemed as if she was turning into something. Something with a-if it was possible-will of its own.  
  
Shaking his head, James felt he needed to clear his mind. A shower might help. "Sit tight," he told...she needed a name. "I'll clean up and then we'll talk about instructions or whatever."  
  
"Sit...tightly? How should I do this?"   
  
James sighed, grabbing a towel from one of the drawers. He opened the door a notch, and hung the 'Do not disturb' sign in the knob before closing it and locking the thing, chain and all. "I'll have Morada program some expressions into you. Just stay put, okay?"  
  
"Very well."   
  
  
  
Misty hung up the phone, disgusted with her waste of an hour. Ring after ring, number after number-none had worked. James was nowhere to be found, at least not by phone. She took her healed pokemon back from Joy, left the center, and started her long walk back to the Resistance base in the Mahogany forest.  
  
"Stupid Team Rocket," she muttered. Of course Misty couldn't know that James left his cell phone in the cabin, since he certainly couldn't keep it with the tracking device. So this was just great. James was running around with an android trying to find the real Jessie-who of course was back at the base but Misty couldn't tell him that. She also couldn't talk to Ash, tell him she was all right, and scream at him for not rescuing her because he too was running around with an android looking for the real Jessie. "Stupid James. Stupid Ash. Stupid stupid STUPID BOYS!!" she yelled the last part. "They're never where they should be.  
  
"A damn fine situation. We have one Jessie, they have the other, and everyone seems to want both." On the bright side, everyone in the base seemed convinced that Jessie knew something important about 01, the android. Before she'd left, Mondo had quickly filled her in, but not much. All Misty knew was this: 01 is an android that looks like Jessie, and everyone in Team Rocket and Team Vicious, not to mention the Resistance, wanted this thing. Apparently it could do something...or it had something in its systems... well, nobody knew why this machine in particular was so important, but those were questions Mondo and Butch hoped Jessie could answer.  
  
When she reached where she believed the door lay, Misty stomped on the hallow spot in the ground in what she hoped was the right tune. It took a moment, but the door opened a crack. Mondo looked up at her expectantly. "Did you talk to James? Is he coming?"  
  
She shook her head. "Didn't answer the phone."   
  
Mondo looked worried, and opened the door wider to let her through. "Well we'll deal with that later. Jessie got here safe and she's about to fill is all in on what's been happening."   
  
Msity climbed down the ladder and into the crowd of Rockets in the tightly cramped space. Following Mondo, she headed for the front of the group near the big meeting table. Six girls sat in the chairs on one side, and each looked dirty and worn. Jessie and Cassidy were part of the group, sitting as far away from each other as possible, the latter pouting that the former was getting the spotlight. As Mondo separated from Misty he moved over to Jessie, whispered something to her, and the woman stared back at Misty with eyebrows raised, saying nothing.  
  
Butch stood up, and everyone in the room slowly began to quiet down. He nodded to Mondo, who touched a button. A display screen appeared on the wall, and somebody behind Misty hissed at her to take out her ponytail so she could see.   
  
"This," Butch announced, "Is Tactical Defensive Android Prototype 01." The display flickered. Green lines appeared, forming into a human shape. The shape took color, detail, et cetera. It took only a few seconds to bring the image of Jessie onto the screen, exactly alike except for the metal strips over her body. "It seems obvious that this was manufactured in the likeness of someone here."  
  
All eyes turned to Jessie, who looked relaxed in her chair. "Go on," she said, waving her hand.   
  
Butch continued. "Thanks to the info that Mondo dug out for us, plus Deija's hacking skills, we found out that James-yes, the one who used to work here-was hired by Vicious to steal 01. But he never showed at the meeting point to give it to Vicious's people. We have to assume James still has the android, but we've been unable to contact him. I'd spoken to James right before he left, and he had no idea what was going on-an interesting coincidence but a beneficial mistake nonetheless." There was a pause as he let this sink into the heads of those in the room. "That's all I know-that's all any of knows. Jessie can pick up where I've left off."  
  
Jessie stood up and looked around the room. Everyone looked back silently, intently, waiting with held breath for her to speak. She smirked, satisfied with the attention. Then she looked serious. "01 was the first of many," she said. "Team Rocket has manufactured a android in the image of each person who'd been kidnapped by the Boss over the last five years, using the prototype 01 as a template. Now, the Boss just needs one-the prototype-back so he can activate the others." She scanned the faces of those she could see with strangely piercing blue eyes. "And yes," she said, reading their minds, "it IS an army."  
  
  
  
"I haven't seen her," said Officer Jenny, "What did you say her name was? Misty? I'll keep an eye out...in fact, I'll add her to the list."  
  
"List?" asked Mrs. Ketchum in her usual worried tone. "There are more missing people?"  
  
"Pages more" Jenny sighed, slamming a thick binder on the counter. She opened it to the last page and scratched in Misty's name and description with her pen.   
  
Professor Oak stood up straight. "Could you also keep an eye out for a woman who's been missing quite some time-she's connected to Team Rocket and I know this city used to be a busy place for that organization."  
  
Jenny looked at him with one eye critically, the other eye closed. "We're always on the look out for criminals. Did she steal a pokemon of yours?"  
  
"It's really a long story," sighed Mrs. Ketchum. "But her name's Jessica."  
  
"Describe her."  
  
Professor Oak looked up at the ceiling. "She's attacked my lab enough times I should remember what she looks like... Let me see, she's a tall, er, well endowed woman (Mrs. Ketchum gave him a look. It's up the reader to determine if it's something eldershippy or not.) and she had long, and...well...big red hair."  
  
"Eye color."  
  
"Blue I think, or were they green?"  
  
Mrs. Ketchum interrupted. "No, the boy's hair was blue."  
  
"Then her eyes were green?"  
  
"I think they were blue..." she thought back and concentrated hard. "Blue. I'm almost positive."  
  
Jenny looked disinterested. The officer knew who the two were referring to, and although she was perfectly aware they were flops as criminals, Jessie and James of Team Rocket had disgraced every Jenny they'd run into by escaping. "We'll keep you informed, but right now we're focusing on a crime spree that's been going on from Mahogany Town to here in Viridian City."  
  
"That's a lot of ground," the professor pointed out. "Especially if you include the Ilex Forest and the Viridian."  
  
Jenny's eyes narrowed just a bit. "We at the police force think some kind of gang war is going on," she paused as Mrs. Ketchum gasped in surprise. "The crimes have taken place as if people are on a direct route-either to Mahogany or here. We think the gangs-Team Rocket and a new one with Vs on their shirts-have their bases in the respective cities. And more and more seem to be coming, but we can't seem to find or stop them. I'm not surprised you're here, Mrs. Ketchum. A lot of the families that had a member who vanished come here, or to Mahogany, to see if the gang has their children. No luck so far." She paused as if she wasn't sure she should tell them. "But a few weeks ago, the kidnappings stopped entirely, and the crime slowed to almost a stop. I think all the gang members have reached their hideouts, and are getting ready to fight."  
  
"Fight with each other?" Mrs. Ketchum repeated dismayed. "One gang against another, with cities caught in the middle...oh dear."   
  
Professor Oak, being the one who noticed things, spoke up. "If this was all a few weeks ago I wonder what's keeping them from fighting now."  
  
Jenny closed her binder with a defiant sounding snap. "They seem to be waiting...for what, I don't know."  
  
  
  
James, dry after his shower and changed, came back into the main room. The others were still asleep, but the android stared at him silently. "What?" he asked. If the real Jessie stared at him like that, she wanted to say something.  
  
"My assigned identity is Miyamoto, Jessica," stated the android. "Programming ordered by the one called 'Boss'. You are not Boss. Do you wish to assign me a new identity or keep the old one?"  
  
"New one, definitely!" James said enthusiastically before she'd even finished. He could not and would not call her Jessie...not again...he felt he'd done his friend a terrible wrong by doing so in the first place.  
  
"What is my name, then?" asked the android.  
  
James opened his mouth then shut it, not knowing what to say. Name her? What would he call someone who looked like Jessie? Jessibelle? Noooooooooooo... another name another name... He looked her up and down, trying to figure what he'd name Jessie if she ever wanted to change her name. No. Nothing came to mind, that face... that face was set on Jessie. Nothing else would work, nothing else would do, and nothing else was worthy. "I have no idea, ask Morada when she wakes up."  
  
"Ask me what?" muttered a half-awake scrawny lump in the blankets. She surfaced looking like she could do with a few more hours sleep. "Ask me what?" she repeated.  
  
"I require a new name," the android informed her. "James will not give me one. I need Morada Kokuan to give me a name."  
  
The doctor eyed her with a tired but critical look. "Can't you name yourself?"  
  
"A name is traditionally given by the parents," the android pointed out. "I have none. I require a person to name me."  
  
Morada turned her tired eyes on James. "So she's not Jessie?"  
  
"No!"   
  
"Wo-kaaaay." She heaved a sigh. "I'm not that good at naming things ya know, but how about...Galatea?"  
  
The android paused, and a small light behind her eyes flickered. "Designation accepted. My name is Galatea."  
  
"Well that was easy enough," Morada said, flopping back down into the covers.   
  
James pulled the blanket off the bed ("Hey! I'm cold!" shouted Morada). "Time to get up. Meowth will be here any minute to explain all this, then we're looking for Jessie."  
  
"And Misty," added Ash, sitting up on the couch and yawning. "I've been awake for a while. Why Galatea, Morada?"  
  
The girl lifted an eyebrow. "Kids," she huffed. "So uneducated these days. It's Greek. Pygmalion carved a statue of Aphrodite, and named it Galatea. The statue was so beautiful he fell in love with it, and Aphrodite turned Galatea into a human."   
  
James smiled a bit. It was a cute story, but he couldn't find a way to identify with this Pygmalion. He didn't want the statue, not the replica, no. He wanted the original, and no one else would do. Not even something in her likeness was good enough.   
  
Suddenly the group was distracted by a scratching sound at the window. Carefully pulling back the curtains a bit, James peeked through. "It's Meowth," he informed the others, pulling away the screen to let the cat in.   
  
Meowth flopped down on the floor, panting as if he'd run all the way there. They gave him a minute to recover, but finally he stood up and looked around. "Nobody attacked during da night, did dey?"  
  
"No..." Morada answered suspiciously, "Why would they? Nobody knows we're here, right?" she still eyed Meowth, then... "Oh poor kitty! You look tired, you better rest!" Meowth was once again hoisted onto the young doctor's lap and commenced in being pampered.  
  
"Look we don't have time for this," James insisted. "Meowth, you said you'd tell us about the android." James was NOT going to let the cat leave this time, not before he got answers.   
  
Meowth gave James a pitiful look, then sighed. "Dis is an extremely sensitive subject. Anyone who ain't acquainted wid Team Rocket would be betta off not hearin dis." As he said this, he faced James but his small slits of eyes were on Ash.   
  
Morada was the first to catch on. "Ash," she said sweetly, "Why don't you take Galatea here shopping? She could use some clothes that fit her better." ("Yeah, and clothes that LOOK better too," muttered James under his breath.)  
  
Ash looked up. "Why do I have to do it? I wanna hear what Meowth has to say about the android too!"  
  
Morada stood up (Meowth fell as she did so "OW!") and hovered ominously over Ash, who was still waiting on that teenage growth spurt. "Look," she said, moving to angry-rocket-girl-mode, "A lot of what he has to say is classified, and it's OUR necks on the line here if you leak anything at all to the police. We'll fill you in on the important stuff later, but for now here's a fifty and make sure she gets a new bra."  
  
It wasn't so much the shopping that Ash didn't care for; it was the concept of bra shopping that scared him. "B-b-but she can't go out like that," he tried, pointing to the girl newly christened as Galatea. "Long sleeves and a high collar still won't hide the metal thing on her forehead, or the one by her ear," he persisted, pointing to the nodded and connector ports that coated the android's skin in various places.  
  
Galatea looked up. "I shall move to disguise mode then," she said, as if trying to be helpful. One of the metal gizmos sparked something, and then you couldn't see it anymore. She looked completely human, not a scratch on now perfect skin.  
  
Morada grinned. "I figured she'd have holo-emitters."  
  
"Holo-what?" James and Ash asked at once.  
  
"Holographic imaging systems," came the reply. "It uses a trick of the light to make it appear she has skin over the connecter ports. It looks solid, but you'll feel metal if you touch them."  
  
Ash twisted his head to get a better look. "It seems so real," he finally said, "How'd you know she'd have those things?"  
  
Morada pointed to Galatea. "She's obviously designed to blend into society. For that, she'd have to give the impression that she's completely human." There was a pause, then... "Now get moving! We don't have all day, and you'll have to walk to the mall. Galatea should have a map of the city in her system, so get!"  
  
It took ten more minutes of whining and fighting, but Ash finally sulked out the door with Galatea following like a well-trained growlithe.   
  
Morada sighed and picked Meowth back up. "Back to business?"  
  
James nodded, looking at the cat. "Well it certainly isn't business as usual. Tell us what you know, Meowth."  
  
  
  
Jessie had been able to say no more since her last sentence-the room had exploded with fearful, angry, frustrated, and wildly loud conversation.  
  
"An army?!"  
  
"And the faces of our partners on each soldier..."  
  
"So the Boss is planning a war-"  
  
"Who's he fighting?"  
  
"Vicious probably..."  
  
"But why doesn't the entire organization know?"  
  
"Wouldn't he need every last man to beat Vicious?'  
  
"Something's wrong. We should know about this-"  
  
"Maybe he'll use the androids to fight us!"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"You can't be serious-"  
  
"Why would the Boss turn on us like that?"  
  
"Killer androids? I'm gonna die!"  
  
"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!!!"   
  
they did, and all eyes were on the girl who'd shouted above the others.  
  
"Got something to add, Twerp?" Jessie asked Misty.  
  
The younger girl stomped to the front of the room until she was facing her former female rival. "I was kidnapped by Team Rocket too," she stated firmly. "Are you telling me that this Boss of yours made an android that looks like me?"  
  
Jessie eyed the girl. Misty had grown in the past five years, but she didn't differ much from the kid she's known. Still a bit too skinny, hair still up high, the only difference was she was taller, her clothes were more stylish, and her voice had gotten ever so slightly less high pitched. Still the same kid-some things never change. It was a comforting thought.   
  
"YOU were kidnapped?" she finally repeated, stifling a laugh. "The magical pikachu finally loose one?"  
  
Misty glared up at her. "Don't change the subject!"  
  
Jessie looked her in the eye. "How long," she asked, and this time she seemed serious, "were you unconscious?"  
  
Misty opened her mouth to answer, but it just hung there in silence as she realized she had no idea what day it was. "Cassidy," she finally tried, looking over at the disgruntled rocket, "how long was I asleep in the cell?"  
  
Cassidy looked up, eyes to the ceiling as she calculated in her head. "About three days, almost."  
  
Jessie frowned. "That's long enough. So yes, Team Rocket most likely made a copy of you."  
  
Shocked stiff, Misty couldn't say a thing. Another her...? That was...couldn't...but... Too confusing, dizzy... She flopped down into the chair Jessie had vacated.  
  
One of the Rocket girls that had escaped with Jessie patted her shoulder. "Look," she said, "We're going through the same thing."  
  
"Elsie's right," Cassidy said, sounding surprised. "Besides, there's nothing to worry about unless the androids get activated which they can't do."  
  
Jessie grunted. "I don't know what you're pouting about, Twerp," she said bitterly. "There isn't a copy of YOU just running around with your...partner."  
  
"Copy..." Misty repeated, then shot up, pointing an accusing finger at Jessie. "How do we know YOU aren't that prototype?!"  
  
Jessie glared back at the girl. Butch walked up and intervened as he sensed a catfight coming. "It's easy to tell, if you have the right equipment," he assured. "This," he held up a small metal cylinder, "is a neutralizer. It sends out a signal that interferes with computers functions and shuts them down." He pressed a button on the cylinder and it hummed, giving off a blue hue. Then, Butch waved it at Jessie. Nothing happened. He went down the line of girls in turn, waving the cylinder near their faces with no results. "All human," he finally announced, tossing the device to Mondo who turned it off.   
  
"Oh all right," Misty sighed, sitting back down. "Well then you better tell us about this 01 thing, since it's obvious we have to stop this Boss of yours from getting it."   
  
Jessie shot her a glare. "That's exactly what I was about to do," she said.  
  
(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: this next part has Jessie and Meowth saying the same thing, but switching scenes so I don't have to type it twice-this is done on tv and movies a lot, I'm sure you've seen it. Anyway, the scenes change fast and there's no room for descriptions and such so for this part ONLY I will use the script format.)  
  
  
Meowth: Every android is equipped with da programming and weaponry to be a professional assassin. Dey're pretty complacent, and will answer to the highest ranking member of Team Rocket they happen to be with at the time, but the Boss holds all the power of her original programming and has complete authority.  
  
  
Jessie: The Boss wanted these things to be perfect. Before this, nobody's been able to make artificial intelligence before. Scientists have made plenty of robots, sure, but nothing that could think for itself. So the Boss decided to mimic exactly the human brain, hoping that it would give the android a sense of 'self' and the ability to adapt. It worked. The android was completed almost three years ago, and she has perfect artificial intelligence.   
  
  
M: But dere's a catch. 01 could completely think for herself-but how do you control someone with free will who's a hundred times more powerful den your best agents combined? You can't. If da Boss let her keep her free will, she'd realize she was more powerful den Team Rocket and she'd never serve him. She might even try to take over everything herself, and she could probably do it, too.  
  
  
J: And another problem came up. By the time he realized the problem, the Boss had already created hundreds of other androids with the exact same schematics. The Boss could never activate hundreds of androids that can destroy him like that, so he went back to the prototype.  
  
  
M: Da Boss had his scientists create a firewall dat would block da android's non-programmed personality, most of her free will, the memory copied from the host she was made from, and the ability to adapt to emotional circumstances.   
  
  
J: They couldn't find a way to delete her personality, so it got trapped behind the firewall, thinking for itself bit with no control over the body.   
The firewall was only installed in the prototype, and 01 was kidnapped before the firewall could be copied into the other androids. The schematics were deleted, so now the Boss needs to get 01 or else he can't activate his army.  
  
  
M: And if dat firewall ever comes down, da android will slowly revert back to her original programming.   
  
  
J: She was made to be humanlike, which means she has common sense and things like that, but she also has greed...  
  
  
M: hatred...  
  
  
J: violent tendencies...  
  
  
M: and a thirst for power.   
  
  
J: If she reverts completely there may be no stopping her.  
  
  
M: With or without the Boss she would be incredibly dangerous...  
  
  
J&M: and she'd have to be destroyed.  
  
  
  
Collin ducked down behind a potted plant in the food court, watching and waiting for the one he was looking for. Finally he heard it:   
  
"That was the most embarrassing half hour of my life," Ash wailed, covering his face as he and Galatea exited Victoria Secret.   
  
Galatea was looking through her shopping bag, seeming a bit confused. "What did that woman mean when she said I should purchase something with a 'g string'? And what IS a 'thong' exactly?"   
  
Ash stared at her horrorstruck. "Those are two questions I absolutely refuse to answer."  
  
Underwear shopping aside, they'd come off pretty well. Galatea was wearing far more stylish clothes-a black imitation leather tank top and a miniskirt of the same kind. The outfit was a bit short for the type of weather, but Galatea and Ash had figured that they shouldn't get clothes that would cover up the connecter ports just incase she had to interface with a computer.   
  
They exited the mall in silence, for Ash had no idea what to say to her and Galatea didn't speak much unless spoken too-but suddenly she stopped and jerked her head up a bit. "I have detected a weapon."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Pika?"  
  
Clear eyes looked a bit clouded. "Scanning..."  
  
Ash looked left and right, seeing many people but none who looked imposing. "I can't find it, why didn't you say something sooner?"  
  
She shook her head. "There are too many people, it interferes with my scans."  
  
"Fine," Ash growled, "Then we'd better get out of here." He grabbed Galatea's arm and started pulling her down the side streets. Finally they ended up in a secluded alley. "Well?" Ash asked, panting.   
  
"One person has followed us," she answered. "I cannot pinpoint his location."  
  
Ash grabbed some pokeballs from his belt, and pikachu started throwing sparks. "All right whoever you are!" he shouted, pulling his hat backwards, "come out and face me like an honorable trainer would-battle me!"  
At first there was silence, then laughing-cruel and short.  
  
Galatea jerked her head upward. "The fire escape!" she warned Ash. He turned to look, and saw the tall, blonde agent with the scyther he'd battled back at the cabin. But this time he had a gun.  
  
  
  
"Some witnesses think they saw the Meowth balloon over the Ilex Forest, heading for Viridian," Domino informed her Boss to end her status report. She had to admit she felt a bit nervous, for her employer had been angry with her since the Mewtwo fiasco. This had been her last chance, or else she'd be demoted, but of course those prisoners who'd escaped and that James were not part of HER jurisdiction. Surely he wouldn't blame HER! But then again, it was the Boss...  
  
"We need that android," Giovanni finally answered, talking slowly as he thought. "It's time to call in the trump card I laid a while ago," Giovanni smiled.  
  
A wave of relief and confusion swept over Domino, "Sir?" she asked carefully.  
  
"James," her employer informed her, "Still believes that 01 is actually Jessica Miyamoto."  
  
Domino thought that over. "But Jessie's missing, sir. What if she finds James?"  
  
"If she had we would have heard from them," the Boss assured her. "That woman loves to show off, and she wouldn't waist an opportunity to use that android-especially since she's the only one besides you me and the scientists that know what that thing is really capable of."  
  
"So what should I do, sir?" Domino asked, hoping to regain the Boss's confidence by completing another mission.  
  
"Find James," he said. "Tell him to contact me, understand? Even if you see the android don't take any measures to reclaim it-my plan will assure we get back 01 and get Jessie and James out of our hair, permanently."  
  
Tbc.  
  
Okay I should take the time to apologize to anyone who has been aggravated by my email server. There's some error in my outbox that sends the same message over and over again, but I think I've fixed the problem-not sure though. ^^;; 


	10. Look everyone, it's chapter 10!

I'd like to thank Haru-chan, who's wisdom has been a constant source of information. And now for an inside joke: Eve fell in the pond today...  
  
Okay, I'm probably annoying you now ^^, on with the story  
--  
  
"Hey! Put that down!" Ash yelled at the man, referring to the gun pointed at him. "You could hurt somebody with it." His opponent gave a short, false laugh and pulled the trigger. A bullet flew inches away from Ash's ear before he even knew how to react.  
  
"Now shut up and step away from the prototype!" the man yelled. Shocked and dumbfounded, the boy stood frozen in his spot. Strange it seemed, since he'd been shot at before, why should he be so astonished? Maybe it seemed just too serious this time. Or this man really wanted something so much he'd spill blood to get it...   
  
Ash shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had to get back to reality or this guy would shoot him for sure, and it wasn't as if he could tell Galatea to take care of the guy-she'd kill him for sure. "Tell me who you are first!" Ash stalled, "And who do you work for?"  
  
The gun didn't move from its target. "Collin."  
  
"Collin what?"  
  
"That's all you're getting. And as for my employer-I work for Team Vicious," he stated loudly with forced, delusional pride and sounding a bit crazed, "the criminal organization that will run the world after the defeat of Team Rocket!"  
  
Ash hadn't been paying much attention, however. He was watching the android girl, who was getting that glazed look that meant she was computing something. Finally and suddenly, she lifted her head and, and then her arm-the one with the gun.   
  
"No!" Ash hissed so that Collin guy wouldn't hear. "You can't kill anyone."  
  
"It is self defense," she stated calmly. "Does it matter? If you would prefer I could knock him unconscious, but he would continue to peruse us-furthermore, I don't believe I could reach him before he takes a shot at you, who I should point out are not bulletproof."  
  
If she'd been human, that moment could have been described as vengeful...hating...a horrible impulse for violence that he'd seen in so many real people. But a machine...couldn't be. Just a machine-she wasn't dangerous unless someone told her to be, right? It wasn't as of Galatea could make her own decisions, but then again, Morada had said the thing was gaining a mind of her own, but...  
  
Ash glared at her, but didn't know what to say. How could he compete with that type of logic? How could he explain to a computer that human compassion meant not to kill? But it was self defense after all... "No," he said firmly. "You're a tactical whatchamacallit, aren't you? If we let him take us as hostages I'm sure that further down the line we can escape without hurting anyone."   
  
"I should point out that it is that type of thinking that gets most hostages killed."  
  
"If he really thought I was so expendable he wouldn't have missed me that first time. Now don't shoot him."  
  
There was a long pause, and she lowered her arm. "I may have to kill him later on."  
  
"Now!" Collin yelled, bringing their attention back to him. "The prototype goes with me. You're the property of Vicious now, android!" He jumped from the fire escape, and landed just in front of them. "And you," he swung around, pointing his gun at Ash, "convince her to be cooperative."  
  
  
  
Misty was getting tired of lounging around the cramped, makeshift base. Mostly everyone was still packed inside, discussing what they'd heard. Nobody seemed to know what to do-some wanted the android destroyed so their Boss could never have the schematics he needed. Other's wanted the firewall back up, so the machine could be reprogrammed to be on the side of the resistance. With a mechanical assassin on their side, their missing partners could easily be rescued. Misty, personally, was for the first one. Despite the fact that she'd agreed to help out these people, she certainly did not want any criminal organization to have an android of all things on their side.   
  
As soon as she found him, she resolved to tell Ash about this whole thing. He was probably with James and the robot, both boys thinking the machine was the long lost rocket girl. She'd tell him about the army, and they could tell Jenny, or just somebody who could get rid of those things. Artificial intelligence...too many horrors, too many possibilities...  
  
Starting to feel a tad claustrophobic in the shelter, she climbed the ladder and shut out the racket behind the sound proof hatch. She covered the door with leaves again, and took a deep breath of the forest air. Finally, a moment to herself.  
  
"Well look who it is."   
  
Misty whirled around and resisted the instinctive urge to shout "Team Rocket!" in an incriminating voice. Instead, she crossed her arms and made an impolite noise. "What do you want, Jessie?"   
  
Jessie straightened, hands on her hips and eyebrows arched. Misty noted she was almost at eye level to the woman, but not quite, and it seemed to give her antagonist an air of self-importance, but perhaps that had always been there.  
  
Misty admitted she'd never much liked Jessie, but then again she hardly liked anyone that reminded her of her sisters-tall, confident, and knowing their own beauty and reveling in it.   
  
"I didn't want anything, I was out here first," Jessie pointed out. "But as long as you asked I would like to know what YOU are doing here? Come to turn us into the police?"  
  
"No," Misty growled, although the accusation was warranted, "but don't tempt me." She knew she didn't have to answer that Rocket woman, but she felt she needed to explain herself. "I'm not on your side, if that's what you're thinking."  
  
"Never crossed my mind," Jessie gave a know-it-all smirk, and her voice got that high, mightier than thou tone that Misty often wished she could imitate for she'd never been too good at coercing people, and it was a useful skill. "I assume," Jessie continued, "you have some kind of ulterior motive. Finding out where the base is to send Jenny in?"   
  
Misty stomped her foot. "That's not it at all! I'm just helping out a little. The police are watching so closely for you all that I was asked to be a sort of moderator. I can go into town and get information without being conspicuous-but that's all I'm doing!" her tone got progressively higher, and she couldn't control the angry shaking in her voice.   
She wasn't helping the bad guys...she was a good person...she was doing the right thing...wasn't she? "I just want to find Ash, free those missing people, and get on with our pokemon journey-that's IT! You two gangs-Vicious or whatever-can blow each other to pieces for all I care, I-"  
  
Jessie, although she knew the orange-haired Twerp acted a tad more volatile with her temperament, she hadn't expect such an outburst. A bit taken aback, she'd remained quiet and kept the condescending remarks to herself as she waited for the little squirt to finish, but something caught her attention that forced her to cover Misty's mouth and cut the childish temper-tantrum short.   
"Shut up a second," she hissed, "I heard something."   
  
Misty pushed the gloved hand off her mouth but stayed quiet. At first there was nothing, but then she heard something...well it was something.   
The girls couldn't tell if the cause of the noise was in eyesight, so they couldn't risk opening the hatch to the underground room incase someone saw who shouldn't have. Instead, they managed to rush up a tree as soon as the sound was obviously headed in their direction.  
  
"What IS that sound?" Misty whispered. She'd have covered her ears if she didn't need to hold onto a branch for support.  
  
Jessie shrugged. "I think it's a pokemon. Maybe it's mating season or something-shhh! Here it comes!"  
  
'It' was actually a she. A human she to be exact, and the noise was, in fact, that girl's particular version of singing (the true horror of it all being that she was attempting to chant the poke rap).   
  
From their position in the tree, the red-heads could see a short brunette slowly walking into the clearing, humming/whistling/singing/butchering an attempt at an American dub theme. She unbuttoned her white coat as she walked and tied it around her waist, revealing the black midriff top with a blazing red 'R' across the chest.  
  
The girl stopped her "singing" (much to the relief of the tree-bound spectators) and started muttering to nobody in particular. "Damn, I'm sure those bushes weren't there before...must've grown in since last year, or I could just be in the wrong spot..." walking at a slowpoke's pace, she began to stomp on the earth every few steps, listening closely to the thumping sound her feet made.   
  
Misty leaned over to get a better look. "What's she doing?" she asked in a hushed voice.  
  
"I think she's trying to find the base..." Jessie answered, looking serious. "She's checking for a hallow spot in the ground."  
  
"She on our side?"  
  
"I'm not sure, I've never seen her before. We can't take chances though... she's going in the wrong direction-completely missed the door." As the girl walked off down the path, Jessie climbed down carefully and stared after her. "She's headed in the direction of headquarters."  
  
Misty bit her bottom lip, not liking where this was heading one bit. "Let me guess, we're gonna follow her?"  
  
Jessie turned around and glared at her. "Who's this 'we'?"  
  
"I'd like to inform you, ~Jessie~, that I will never trust you," Misty snapped, hands on her hips. "I don't know who you'll turn your back on if you think there's something in it for you. You always have something up your sleeve, and I'm not letting you go off unsupervised until I find Ash and get out of this mess."  
  
"Unsupervised? Har har, I AM a big girl you know," Jessie retorted. "If there's one of us who need's a sitter it's you." She leaned down and looked Misty in the eye, making the younger woman uncomfortable. "You don't know how deep you're in, do you?"  
  
An ever so small spark of panic flickered for a moment in the darkest corner of Misty's mind. "What are you talking about?"   
  
And then she was surprised. Jessie only sighed, almost sympathetically, and shook her head. "Damn fool," she muttered, then louder, "Follow if ya want, twerp," she growled, regaining her original tone, "but don't expect to be able to just hop out when things get rough."   
  
After a half hour of walking through the woods, fifteen minutes of shameless flirting with the guards at the door, five minutes to steal some Rocket-grunt uniforms, and twenty minutes of crawling through the ventilation system, Misty and Jessie were crammed over the heating duct on the ceiling of the Boss's meeting room where the brunette rocket girl was tracked to.   
  
The Boss stepped forward, and for the first time Misty put a face to the man she'd heard so much about. She had to admit, she could understand why Jessie and James were always so worried about that man's approval-he was so ominous she felt nervous merely staring through the slits of light in the vent.   
She looked over next to her, was Jessie scared too? No...she was shaking but...tight jaw, clenched fists, red face... She hated him. She hated that man with a horrible passion.  
  
It was, as Misty considered it, perfectly understandable that the woman should be angry. This was the man who, after all, had experimented on Jessie and ultimately made a killer-copy that may be putting her best friend in danger.  
Come to think of it, Misty noted, this man had also made a copy of HER, and HER best friend was also with the electronic assassin! She anger started to replace her nervousness-this guy was going down!  
  
"I came to report about the cabin raid, sir," same the nonchalant, high voice of the Rocket girl below them.   
  
"Morada," said the Boss, "You better have a damn good explanation."  
  
  
Galatea showed little reaction to the change of atmosphere as she and Ash walked at gunpoint from the lush foliage of the Viridian Forest into the high but well camouflaged headquarters of Team Vicious. "Keep walking, boy!" Collin growled at Ash who was taking in the scenery, flicking the gun with an affirmative clang to serve as a reminder of who was in charge.   
  
The first few hallways were empty, turning off into darker corridors that blended into a vestibule of some sort with a tall set of double doors on the far wall.   
  
"This place," Collin informed them as he held the gun up with one hand and punched a code into a keypad on the door handle with the other, "Used to be the HQ for Team Rocket. It was destroyed when one of the Bosses experiments got away-who knows what that thing was-but Vicious rebuilt it."  
  
The buttons on the keypad suddenly illuminated the foyer with an electric blue glow for a split second, then a loud click informed the odd party that the door had unlocked.   
  
The room had, in a better past, been one of Giovanni's great offices/meeting halls. The floor had at one time been carpeted, the walls papered and decorated with pictures. It had once been symbolic for the classiest of thieves.   
  
Not anymore.  
  
What was so attractive about Vicious's enterprise was the extreme chaotic effect of his authority. Where as Giovanni held Team Rocket in line, like an illegal army out to steal, Vicious's people were wild. Most of the clientele was made from the more rambunctious of the Rocket agents, who couldn't sit still under the Boss's organized authority. Although Vicious did make it known he was in charge, and he was sure to keep track of each team to assure he got all the assets from each heist, he provided little rules.   
  
As it stood now, the great meeting hall was transformed into a sort of deformed arena/rec room. Stacked, shelf-like stands made from the same material as chain-linked fences reached to the ceiling and dozens of Team Vicious agents sat on each. Many of the agents on the ground were battling each other, be it with fists or pokemon, and sitting on a chair on a high platform like a king on his throne, was Vicious.   
  
The gang leader wore body armor that resembled the outfit he's used in his attempt to capture Cerebii, but this suit seemed to be an updated version with more freakish gizmos built in ready to blast things. You couldn't see his black hair from under the helmet, but a dark blue visor covered his eyes ant it was just transparent enough to glare down at Ash through.   
  
Galatea didn't seem to notice. She kept her head down as the agents called out to her, not hearing their lewd comments or their cheers for her body. She was too busy calculating, and if she had paid attention it was doubtful that she'd know how to respond anyway. Her tactical subroutines were working hard, running simulations of plan after plan, and attempting to find a non-violent means of escape per the request of the boy, although it wasn't probable.  
Finally, the part of her program that most coincided with Jessie came up with a "foolproof" plan to capture pika-er-I mean trick Vicious.  
  
Just in time.  
  
The ex-rocket in question stood, and eyed Ash for a long time and gave a horrible grin. "Collin," he called, "You did well here-the android and this little brat that ruined my plan to capture those pokemon in the Ilex..."  
  
"I did everything you asked, sir," Collin stated, straightening up. "Our agreement-"  
  
"Our agreement was that I would give you an android with witch you can use to avenge whoever it was-"  
  
"Doris." The name was greatly forces and emphasized.   
  
"Yes, yes, and you will have your android when my scientist use this little lady here to make more of her kind..." he got down and walked over to Galatea, looking her up and down in a way that even Collin and Ash could see was inappropriate. "The real woman would be uncontrollable but..."   
  
He reached out to touch the android's face, but as his hand was inches away Galatea gave an icy glare in perfect Jessie imitation and whispered in an icy tone, "Try me."  
  
Vicious jerked his hand back, paused for a moment, and laughed out loud. "Incredible simulation! The real Jessie was a wonderful brownnoser to those in authority, but I knew the stories of her famous temper! Excellent!" He laughed again, and his men joined in. But they soon stopped as another laughter resounded higher than the rest.  
  
There it was again-that perfectly devious, evil laugh that made Ash double check to make sure Pikachu hadn't been caught. Galatea, a perfect replica with one hand to the side of her mouth and head thrown back-just like Jessie.   
  
"Sorry ~master~," the tone was perfect. She didn't sound like the monotone innocence of the android anymore; this was exactly how the real woman's "evil voice" sounded. "But this just goes to show what happens to traitors like you. You won't get anywhere with me as your prisoner."  
  
With her attention diverted she did not notice the Meowth on its hind legs, carefully watching her every move, but she DID see the speechlessly angry expression Vicious's face, and she continued with exact, simulated glee.   
  
"I'm afraid that you got the wrong me..." she smiled at them, and picked up a shard of glass from a beer bottle broken on the ground. She held up the shard for everyone to see, then held up her other hand and swept the makeshift blade across the palm.   
The tactical programming and auto-response system gave the perfect satisfied look at the shock and anger on her antagonists' faces as they saw what appeared to be blood trickle down from the cut. "Sorry to disappoint you," said Galatea, "but I'm the real Jessie."  
  
  
James paced the hotel room. He'd been hoping to be out and looking for Jessie right now, but he'd need Galatea and Morada to help him figure out where she was. Meowth had gone back to Team Vicious's HQ to avoid suspicion if he was missing, and Morada wanted to check up on Mondo and wouldn't be back until late for Mahogany Town was a long train trip (James wanted to go along too, just incase the real Jessie was being held prisoner at HQ, but Morada pointed out they were in no position to mount a rescue while the entire faculty of TR was on look out for him. She'd promised to check and see if Jessie was there, and if she was then they would figure out what to do next). The Twerp and the android still hadn't returned from shopping, and although he knew that shopping with the real woman was an all-day experience, James doubted if it were the same for a mechanical one and he was starting to worry. What if that damn thing had been caught? If Giovanni or Vicious or whoever got to it, then they'd have the firewall technology and doom doom doom. At this rate he'd never see Jessie again.  
  
Frustrated, he grabbed his jacket and headed out. But as he opened the door, he came face to face with none other than Domino, the Boss's right hand rocket.   
"'lo James," she said, pushing past him and into the room where she sat down in a chair, looking quite relaxed and in charge. "The Boss has a proposal for you."  
  
James glared at her. The Boss...the boss tried to trick him. He'd convinced James his best friend was a machine! In fact, the Boss probably still thought that James believed Galatea was the real Jessie. And then the man had said "I'll see you soon" in a tone he didn't like at all, a tone that always meant something bad in the movies. This had to be handled carefully-Domino was dangerous if she thought you were a threat to the organization. It would be best to play along until she left and he had a killer android on his side that could beat her up.  
  
"What does the Boss want with me?" James asked carefully, trying to sound as innocent as he used to be.   
  
"Simple," Domino crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair, putting her fingertips together to form a sort of teepee. "I expect you've had enough time to come to terms with it-and unless you're still as big of an idiot as the last time I saw you you've figured out that Jessie is an android."  
  
"Y-yeah..." James tried to sound like he believed it. "She doesn't remember anything though, so it's not the same."  
  
Domino grinned in a sly manner and looked him in the eye from behind her lashes. "You'd like it to be the same, wouldn't you James?"  
  
He nodded. That was all he wanted.   
  
Standing up and straightening her double colored uniform, she walked back towards the door, slipping a piece of paper into his hand as she passed by. There was a number written on it.   
"Give us a call, James," Domino suggested from the doorframe. "If you'd been a good agent, your dreams might have come true, but we can bring back the old Jessie for you. You just need to cooperate." She sent him one last, lying smile and walked primly out of view. James paused a moment, and picked up the phone.  
  
  
"Mondo, what are doing?" Cassidy demanded, growing angry the boy had been hogging the base's only computer for the past few hours.   
  
"Huh? Oh Miss Cassidy is there something you need?" he offered with usual childish vigor. "I thought you'd be with Butch right now..."  
That hit a mark, so she hit him.   
  
"Idiot!" she snapped. "I'm not one of those pathetic women who can't function without a man, I'm stronger than ~that~!"  
  
From the table, Doris looked up and for a moment discarded her sour expression and grinned weakly. "Sore subject, Mondo. Better calm her down now before she announces to the entire congregation she's got it bad for Butch."  
  
Cassidy whirled on her, "What!? I am NOT!"   
  
"Denial," Doris gave the Rocket-Girl evil smile, "Better lower your voice, hun."  
  
Cassidy, not one to let herself be humiliated, straightened up and stuck her nose in the air. "Anyway," she started, changing the subject and reclaiming her dignity, "crazy accusations aside, what ~are~ you doing, Mondo?"  
  
"Huh? Oh," Mondo snapped out of it and decided to give up trying to figure out what the girl's had been talking about. "Well remember those truck drivers that were taking you to Seafoam Port? Well Butch interrogated them and he found out that after they delivered you, they were supposed to bring some packages back to the Boss."  
  
"Packages?"  
  
"Yeah," he pushed some buttons on the keyboard and the screen suddenly filled with dozens of vertical rows of green numbers, some blinking a little. "Butch sent some of our Resistance workers to pretend to be the delivery men and we intercepted the packages. They're in another bomb shelter a half mile away-did you know this area is covered in bomb shelters?"  
  
The boy's tendency to jump from one subject to another without finishing the first was starting to wear at Cassidy's nerves. "Skip it, Mondo," she growled. "What was in the packages?"  
  
"I dunno," he shrugged. They might be weapons, explosives even so we can't blast 'em open. They're locked with some kind of electronic mechanism that has a code on it. See these numbers?" he pointed to the screen, "I've been trying to crack the code, but so far no luck."  
  
"I see," Cassidy muttered, pulling up a chair. She stared at the screen for a while, trying to remember her training.   
Each child of Team Rocket was trained in what was thought to be their best medium. Jessie, with her uncanny strength, had naturally been chosen for fight training. James, obviously not one for physical prowess, was trained in mechanics. He could do crude fix-it jobs on their many mechs, and pick locks. Since he wasn't a muscular as the average man, he was better at fitting through small spaces and sneaking around.   
With Cassidy and Butch, it had been the other way around. Cassidy had been trained for tactical, but more or less in computers while Butch and Jessie were beating each other up in Team Rocket's little version of boot camp.   
  
Trying to remember her own training-tactical, code breaking...simple.   
  
"Did you try assigning a letter to each number? Alphabetical order?" she asked, trying to spot a pattern in the green, flashing digits.   
  
"Yeah, I figured imputing hiragana would be too simple so I just skipped it. I got a word translated," Mondo answered. "the code to open the locks is actually a key word or sentence-a password."  
  
"What's the word?"  
  
"'Boss'."  
  
Cassidy leaned back in her seat. "Not surprising. Did you try reverse alphabetical?"  
  
"I'm on it." In a few minutes, the computer processed the word 'era'. Mondo paused, hands poised over the keys. "Now what?"  
  
"Latin," Cassidy stated. "It's dead but universal. Input the Latin signature then translate it."  
  
He typed it in. "'Return'. It says 'return'." Mondo continued to give the screen a critical eye. "I can get the little words like 'to' and 'the' but there's one major word I can't figure out." He pointed to a set of numbers. "It's a six letter word that goes before 'Boss', and I just can't think of a thing that would work." Cassidy silently glowered at the computer. Behind her, Doris did the same. "Um..." they were making Mondo feel uncomfortable, "Should I try Greek?"  
  
"Don't bother," Cassidy grumbled, quickly rising from her seat. "I know what it is." She went at a fast-walk to the ladder with Doris following and a confused Mondo trailing behind.   
  
  
"James came to my cabin saying that his friend was sick," Morada started to explain/lie to her boss. "I didn't know he'd left the Team-I don't keep up with these things ya know-so I thought fine, he's under my jurisdiction so I oughta take a look."  
  
Giovanni drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair impatiently, and she continued.   
  
"So I get there and I see this Jessie person floating in a tank-a TANK, sir! Damndest thing I'd ever seen..."   
  
"A tank?" Misty whispered to Jessie up in the vent. The woman shrugged in response and mouthed 'android'.  
  
"I figured it was some sort of life support system or something-thought she must've been pretty sick."  
  
Giovanni didn't seem to care. He just stared at her with angry eyes, knowing that the woman hardly lied and attempting to judge if she was doing so now. "How did James know where to find you?"  
  
Morada shrugged. "I dunno. He just started pounding on my door with some kid, made a big fuss. But anyway, I interfaced my computer with the machines Jessie was hooked to and ya know what my scans came across? She ain't human, sir."  
  
"I know that," Giovanni snapped. "Give me some relevant information or-"  
  
"I'm getting to it! And of course you know, I assume you built it, or stole it or whatever....but anywho, I was really amazed to find an android. Nobody ever built one that worked right before, and I was, of course, curious and that James guy as yelling at me for answers so I turned the thing on."  
  
Giovanni stood up straight, "YOU activated it!?"  
  
"Uh huh," Morada smiled and nodded, then continued quickly before her boss could scream. "so she was really weird to say the least-blank in a way. No memories, and she didn't know the first thing about being human. I found out there was some kind of firewall in her systems-"  
  
Giovanni rushed forward and grabbed her collar. "DID YOU DIACTIVATE IT!?" he bellowed in her face.  
  
Morada frantically shook her head, "Of course not! I figured it was blocking a virus of some kind so I didn't touch it!"  
  
"Then why," the man growled, "did my agent tell me her Humanity Program had been activated?"  
  
Morada paused. Humanity Program? When that Rocket agent had called the Boss, he'd said 'It's starting'... so...that was what it was... "I didn't do it," she choked defiantly, trying to breathe through the tightening grip around her collar. Giovanni was really angry this time. Normally he'd have a few grunts standing by to do his dirty work, but right now he seemed ready to kill her with his own two hands unless convinced she was worth sparing. "I didn't touch the program!" she shouted, starting to feel a little scared. "It just happened on it's own-the android's adaptive, right? It must have adapted to counteract the firewall. All I saw was a homicidal machine, and then I hightailed my ass out of there. I assume James still has the damn thing-if it didn't kill him."  
  
From above, Misty heard Jessie sharply gasp for air once, but she didn't say a thing.  
  
After a long moment of looking her in the eye, Giovanni released her. She fell to the ground, coughing a few times before sighing with relief. The Boss had turned her back on her, and two Rocket grunts had showed up on each side of Morada. "I can't let you go, not when you have this kind of information." He snapped his fingers and the grunts grabbed hold of her arms, ready to drag her away to the Team Rocket prison.  
  
Knowing it would do no good to struggle, Morada complied with the escort, but just as they arrived at the door she looked behind her to ask one more question to the back of the Boss. "Is that android the real Jessie?"  
  
Giovanni turned part way and grinned evilly. "Of course. Why do you think I didn't fire such a failure team-it was a wonderful experiment that I'm ready to complete."  
  
"Yes sir..." Morada acknowledged, and the Boss turned his back on her once more. Only from above did Jessie catch the small, sly, grin that crept up on Morada's face just before the door shut.  
  
Jessie poked Misty in the shoulder. "Come on, we're following her," she whispered, crawling towards the vent that should take them outside the room.  
  
"But why?" Misty hissed, trying to keep up. She didn't have as much crawling experience as a member of Team Rocket.   
  
Jessie turned around-awkwardly in the tight vent-and gave an angry look. "She was lying-I don't know how much but she was definitely NOT telling the whole truth and nothing but!"   
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"Because if she's as smart as she acts like, she knows that if the Boss had a working android on his hands he wouldn't waist time with it on a ruddy pikachu assignment. She was hiding information from him and I want it!"   
  
Misty's eyebrow twitched. "Well you're not gonna drag me along on some vigilante jailbreak, I-"  
  
"Really? I thought you'd want to come," Jessie's voice was taking that smug tone again. "She said that James was with 'some kid' and I assume she meant your boyfriend."   
  
Misty's face went red. "All right I'll go," she grumbled, trying hard to sound like she really didn't want to.  
  
Jessie turned back around-again, awkwardly because of the cramped space-and the two continued their crawl in silence. Even if the kid had said something to her, Jessie probably wouldn't have heard it. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to pay much attention to anything. That Modara had been lying...but how much? The possibility of an android killing James might be part of the deception, but then again, what if...  
  
It was a shame she hadn't waited around for just a few more minutes. If she had done so, her question would have been answered. If she had, she would have heard the phone ring, and she would have heard Giovanni pick it up and say, "Hello James."  
  
  
"How do I get Jessie back?" James demanded, deciding not to bother with formalities.   
  
The reply was simple. "It's easy, really. You just bring me the android." Before James could wonder how that would do any good, the Boss continued. "I have her memories and personality program on file. There's a program in her systems that I want. It's an exchange, understand?"  
  
"N..no..." James started.  
  
"I get the program, and you get the memory and personality files. I don't need the android, she was just a prototype. You can take her, install the programs and leave to start your dysfunctional family, it doesn't matter to me. I don't want her, so you can take her off my hands and program her to be the woman she used to be, or of that doesn't suit you she can easily be programmed as a slave, attendant, or a PC-whatever suits your fancy as long as I get the program I need and you two out of my hair."  
  
James paused. He didn't know what to think at the moment. "I'll let you know," he said, and hung up.   
The Boss was lying, of course, but what James couldn't figure out was how he could pull off such a lie. Maybe if Jessie's memories...if the Boss had found a way to copy them, could Galatea really be programmed to be like the real woman? Well he certainly wouldn't settle for that! But...what if the Boss had the real Jessie? He would just hand over the real one and pretend she was still an android! Could he really get Jessie back that way?   
  
  
Meowth slammed down the receiver. "Line busy again!" he huffed. "Since when does James have a social life?" Well, if he couldn't talk to James....   
  
  
Morada wasn't given a bad cell. In fact, she'd been given the Ritz compared to the other prisoners. It was the little room the guards would sleep in while off their shifts, sort of converted to a makeshift cell. With all the traitors showing up in Team Rocket, the other cells had been full; still, she was locked inside and handcuffed to the bedpost for good measure.   
Not to mention bored out of her wits.  
  
A guard left his walkman on the table in the corner of the room, but she couldn't reach it. When someone outside picked the lock and opened the door, what they saw was Morada attempting to bend into an impossible position, trying to reach the walkman with her feet.  
  
"That's...interesting," said Jessie, a bit stuck for words.   
  
"What's she doing?" Misty whispered as she trailed into the room.  
  
Morada crammed her neck around to look at the two. "Galatea? How'd you get here?"  
  
Jessie looked confused. "Gala-what?," she asked, turning to Misty, "She talking to you?"  
  
"Wait a sec!" the floored doctor whisper-shouted, "You must be the real Jessie, aren't you? Hurry and close the door before someone notices!" stunned, the girls complied. "Great, great what a relief, I thought I'd never catch a break..." She twisted herself into a semi-normal sitting position and faced Jessie. "Okay young lady, you've got some explaining to do. Where in the name of any rare bird and or dog have you been?"  
  
Jessie and Misty told their fractured stories. Morada noted Jessie conveniently left out most of the parts with the early android experiments, seeming to not want to talk about it. However, the woman-although she didn't say anything-seemed relieved that James was still worried and looking for her, but especially relieved that the android had not actually killed him. Misty had a somewhat different reaction about Ash...  
  
"Darn right he better be looking for me!" she shouted. "If that moron hadn't been such a heavy sleeper he'd have actually NOTICED when I was kidnapped! When I get my hands on him..." she began to grind one fist into her other palm and make a scary chuckling noise.   
  
Morada leaned over to Jessie and whispered "Is she still in that 'hit your crush' stage?"   
  
Jessie crossed her arms, "Don't mock it."  
  
"Riiiight," Morada understood and let it drop. "Anyway, it's all your fault that I'm in jail in the first place."  
  
The other two face-faulted, "OUR fault?"  
  
"Yeah it is!" Morada would have pointed an accusing finger at them had she not been handcuffed. "You saw me looking for the base you should have said something! I could have avoided this situation if I could have just found my brother first-you know him, Mondo-because I don't know how good their information sources are but the Boss is ready to start the war."  
  
Before the others could comment, a ringing sound filled the small room. Actually it was... "ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!"   
"Agghhh!! I hate that ringer," Morada groaned, hunching her shoulders to try and block out the sound.   
  
"Where's it coming from?" asked Misty.   
  
"My bra. Get these cuffs unlocked so I can answer it," the doctor muttered, glaring at her jacket. It took about a minute, but the caller was persistent and presently Morada, with both hands free, produced a cell phone from her shirt. "Hello?"  
  
"Doc! Where are ya?" Meowth demanded. "And where's James I can't get a hold of him."  
  
"I dunno....I'm in the Rocket prison in Mahogany but when we get out we'll head for Viridian and bring the resistance with us, that sound good?"   
  
"Whatever ya want, kid, dat's not what I called about." There was a pause. "We? Who's wid yuz?"  
  
"Misty and Jessie."  
  
"WHAAAAAAAAAT!?" that last one was loud enough for the room to hear and Jessie's ears perked up. She made a grab for the phone, but Morada jerked it away.  
  
"Dude what's your problem?!" she wined to the cat.  
  
"Are yuz serious?" Meowth sounded panicky. "Are yuz sure dat's Jessie? Are yuz POSITIVE?"  
  
Morada opened her mouth to say yes, and then she realized she had absolutely no idea. "No," she said quietly, "I'm not..."  
  
From the other end, the cat sighed. "Put her on da phone."  
  
"Will do," she returned cheerily. She'd been holding the receiver with one hand and fighting off Jessie with the other anyway. Finally, she handed the spastic Rocket girl the cell phone, giving her a look and trying to determine if the woman was real or not. It didn't seem like Galatea-no, it couldn't be-but what if there were more who looked like Jessie...?  
  
"Meowth? That you?" Jessie demanded. "Where are you? Are you with James?"  
  
Meowth paused and listened. "Well you sound like da real Jessie," he finally said. "But so did da other one. Da other one was kinda weird though...."  
  
"What are you talking about, Meowth?" Jessie asked, face read and tone disbelieving. "Of course it's the real me, who are you talking about-are you telling me you can't tell the difference between me and a machine?!"  
  
"She was bleedin!" the pokemon insisted. "Android's don't bleed."  
  
"Bleeding?" Jessie repeated, trying to process, trying to think...how could she prove she was real?  
  
Morada, who had overheard the last part, popped into the conversation. "Is he saying the android's bleeding?" Jessie nodded, "well if it is Galatea-that what we named her-it could just be a trick. Her systems are maintained by red colored plasma that runs through her avatar like a circulatory system. Looks like blood to the naked eye."  
  
"HA!" Jessie chirped, "Did you hear that, Meowth?"  
  
"And," Morada went on, "If she showed up with Ash then it probably is Galatea. We sent them out shopping..."  
  
Meowth, who had heard that last part too, agreed. "Yeah, she was with da Twerp! Dey're both locked up in da dungeon, and da Boss-I mean Vicious-sent out massagers ta find James and tell him dat dey'll trade da real Jessie for da android." There was silence for a long moment. "He's real worried about yuz, but if Vicious or da Boss gets da android den it's all over for everyone. I'll go and see if I can find him first."  
Click.  
  
Misty, who'd been maintaining a respectful silence, noted the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room. She shifted in her spot, not knowing what to do exactly. For once, she was involved in something overwhelming, and Ash wasn't there to say something stupid and make everything seem okay. Why wasn't anyone saying anything stupid...? This was so much bigger than she'd expected, and since she was dealing with outlaws, so much more deadly.  
  
"J-Jessie?" she started, watching to woman who'd been staring silently at the phone, although the line was obviously dead.   
  
Jessie looked serious. It was eerie. Finally she spoke in a low, clouded voice. "Let's go."   
  
Although she seemed darkly angry and menacingly calm, the woman was obviously volatile at the moment. "Go where? Back to base?" Misty asked carefully.  
  
"No." She seemed so mad at herself, but why? "We're going to Viridian City. We have to save the damn android and save the even more damned world."  
  
  
James had taken a walk to clear his thoughts. If the Boss had been lying, when he turned over the android the agents might kill him or lock him up and he'd get nowhere. If the Boss was actually planning to give James the programming to make Galatea into Jessie, the problem still stood that that thing wasn't the real woman he wanted. And if the Boss was holding the real Jessie hostage than he'd get the real one, but then there was the problem as was with the rest of the scenarios-the Boss would still get the firewall technology.   
  
James was furious with himself. Why did he care? He'd never really given much about the well being of others, what did he care if the Boss set an android army loose? What did he care about the gang warfare? Honestly he didn't. But although he was no optimist, he was still so close to finding the real Jessie and what if... What if he found her? What if it was like old times again? What if they really did live happily ever after-but that was just it. Nobody could live happily ever after in a world run by Team Rocket.  
  
Someone tapped him on the shoulder and interrupted his thoughts. Whirling around, he'd expected to see Morada or Galatea or the Twerp, maybe even Domino, but who he saw was agent Collin from Team Vicious.   
"Wha-wha-wha-what are YOU doing here!?" he shouted, backing away and reaching for Wheezing's pokeball.  
  
Collin glared at him. "I thought I knew you," he said icily. "Sure we were only acquaintances but I thought I knew the kind of man you were."  
  
"What are you talking about?" James was, as usual, confused.  
  
"I'm talking about when we were back in Team Rocket," the other man shouted in crazy sounding anger. "And Doris...I thought you cared about Jessie the way I cared about her-how could you betray your partner!"   
  
James was flabbergasted (author's note: my that's a fun word, I felt the need to put it in somewhere) and he stared at the man not knowing what to say. Collin was clearly insane-back arched a bit and to the side, he wasn't standing normally. His eyes were pale and confused, darting everywhere yet somehow holding James in his unfocused glare. "Really Collin," James said, trying to make his voice sound calm as he defensively put his hands in front of him, "I don't know what you're talking about. How did I betray Jess?"  
  
"YOU'RE DEFENDING THAT ASEMBLIGE OF GEARS WHILE THE REAL WOMAN IS LAYING IN A CELL AT VICIOUS'S BASE!" Collin seemed to snap right then and there, lunging at James and grabbing his collar. "HOW COULD YOU!" he yelled in his face. "If I were in your place I'd kill myself before I betrayed Doris..."  
  
James was going to explain to the poor, crazy agent that he only protected Galatea because she was a link to Jessie, but instead he focused on the last thing Collin said. "The REAL Jessie? Where!? Where's Vicious's base?" he jumped up and pushed Collin away, trying to get a straight answer before the guy started another tangent.  
  
Muttering to himself and seeming to decide to push his anger aside, Collin handed him a cellular phone that looked remarkably like the one Vicious had sent him. "I've been sent to propose an exchange," he grumbled. "the android for the real Jessie." Noticing that James still eyed the phone with suspicion, he assured him that it was neither tapped not equipped with a tracker. "Call us with your decision, and if you decide that you'll do it-which I highly suggest you do even though Jessie deserves someone better-you can bring the android to the old Team Rocket HQ in the Viridian Forest."   
  
With that, Collin stalked off to leave James with a dilemma. Two gang Bosses, the same offer, and if he gave one side the advantage the other side would surely kill him. Not to mention he had no idea who really had the actual Jessie! Whoever he gave the android to would use it horribly, but if he didn't give it to anyone he'd still have to rescue Jessie from one of the gangs, whichever it was.   
And then there was the problem that, whatever he decided, James had absolutely no idea where Galatea was at the moment, and it wasn't as if he could produce another Jessie look-alike out of nowhere... Wait! Maybe he could...  
  
James gave a standard Team Rocket laugh as an idea started to form in his head. A weird idea, but it just might work. He picked up the phone Collin gave him and dialed a number.   
"Yeah, I considered it." He told the person on the other line. "I've decided, I'll hand over the android."  
  
  
Cassidy pushed through the small group of people trying to open the large, metal crate. "I've got the password," she shouted as she waded through, and they parted to give her room. Pushing the 'audio' button on the keypad she took a deep breath.   
  
"Please state password," said a computerized voice.  
  
"Return to the era of Madame Boss," Cassidy replied loudly and clearly-and the crate split open with a bang. The sides of the box fell to reveal five tanks, filled with green liquid. And floating in that, were five androids.   
  
Mondo ran out from the hatch, rushing over to her and pausing to stare at the spectacle. "I forgot to tell you," he said to her, but his eyes were fixed on the floating synthoids. They were in the image of Team Rocket agents, except for the one shaped like none other than Misty. "For every batch of prisoners sent to Seafoam, another batch of androids was sent back to the Boss. You were part of the last batch of prisoners, and that means-"  
  
"That means that we may have these," Cassidy finished. "But the Boss has the rest."  
  
Mondo nodded, and was silent for a while. Finally he spoke again, trying to change the subject. "What was the password?"  
  
"Eh?" Cassidy turned to face him, "Oh, it was 'Return to the era of Madame Boss'," she repeated, but before Mondo could ask what that meant, the computerized voice spoke up again.  
  
"Password accepted."  
  
The tanks started to vibrate-the tubes and attacked wiring snapping off with hissing clouds of steam. A high, shrill tone filled the area, breaking the glass on the tanks. And as the green liquid spilled over the ground, the androids opened their eyes.  
  
Tbc.  
  
  
Hi all, it's the author (no da) and I just wanted to apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. I'd taken a week off from writing, and this one is longer than usual so it took me a bit. First of all I wanted to say sorry that people are a tad OOC, but that's part of the point. This story takes place 5 years in the future when the characters have grown and matured to comply with the situations in their lives. In other words, they're supposed to be a little out of character. But I don't know about B&C, since I've never put them in a fic before and I wasn't sure how I should write them ^^;;  
  
Anyway, the next chapter will probably be the last! (gasp, I know it seems like this has been going on forever) and I'll be able to finish up some other fics I started (I'd stopped because I wanted to give my full attention to this story) but anyway, you can look forward to the ending (hopefully, that may just be my wishful thinking there -_-;; )   
  
Oh and to whoever it was that asked if I'd seen Bubblegum Crisis-yeah I have, although I didn't mean for this story to sounds like it. I honestly don't think it does, since the sexandroids were trying to be liberated and Galatea is just going along with things, but to each his own interpretation I suppose.   
  
Please review! Feedback means a lot to me ^_^ 


	11. they should change the graduation song f...

IMPORTANT!  
  
Ok here's the thing: I know I said this would be the last chapter but it's gonna be the second to last and here's why. I hoped to be finished with this story by now, but then finals came up at school and I had to stop working for a bit. Then school lets out and I get a bit done, but I got sick and that stopped the writing again. so long story short, I only got this far done and since people were getting impatient I decided not to wait till it's finished and post what I have. The conclusion will be up as soon as humanly possible.   
I'm sorry, but please enjoy what I've got and sorry for the delay  
  
--  
  
  
Giovanni tapped his foot impatiently, sending glares at Domino at five minute intervals. "He's late," he growled at her after he'd forced her to squirm a sufficient amount. "If he doesn't show-WITH the android-you'll be the one to pay for it."  
  
Domino crossed and uncrossed her arms, not really sure what to do but trying to appear like she did. "Sir he said he'd hand her over-I promise I'll get that machine for you," she burbled out just a little too quickly. "Maybe he got lost, since we did pick the meeting place and all. He's probably just late, Sir-do you want me to look for him?"  
  
But there was no need, for when she looked down, there was James coming up the road with the android right behind.   
  
  
James felt more than a little nervous as he approached the designated meeting place. His plan might not work-in fact it was doomed to fail-but that would be all right as long as he stalled Team Rocket long enough.   
  
If the Boss had the real Jessie, then he would have her back within the hour. But if what that Collin had said was true, that Jessie was in a cell at Vicious's base, then he wouldn't have much time before the Rockets put two and two together, and he'd have to be in the Viridian Forest by then.   
  
"Ready?" he asked the red haired woman behind him, she nodded. "Remember-wait until you're a decent distance away so he'll have no distractions and no choice but to listen to you."  
  
"I know, I know that already and I certainly don't need ~you~ to tell me!"  
  
James rolled his eyes but tried to keep her from seeing. "And watch that voice of yours-don't talk if you can avoid it or they'll recognize you," he reminded her, but she was still ranting on and on and on and ON AND ON about how she knew *cough cough* exactly what she was doing.  
  
  
  
"Okaaay," Morada sighed, leaning back in her chair in self-congratulatory relaxation. "I do believe I've got it," she smiled. "The old Rocket Base in Viridian Forest should be where Vicious is-and the android is most likely in the basement dungeon on the other side of the old obstacle course in the training area. I just hacked into the system, but all I could get was a small map of half the building."   
  
Misty narrowed her eyes, it seemed like everything's in Viridian. She'd been checking the news...gangs on the move and all that. "Ash should be there, then-okay Jessie what's wrong now?" she glared the woman who was glaring at the computer console they'd crowded around.   
  
"The old Team Rocket headquarters exploded-James, Meowth and I saw it," she said seriously, then muttered more to herself, "some cat thing did it I think..." and Misty decided not to comment.   
  
Morada shrugged and logged off the computer. "Well it's our best and only lead so..."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Jessie sighed, fixing the hat from her stolen grunt uniform. "Let's get moving-do you think that Cassa-ditz, Botch and the rest will want to help?"  
  
Morada narrowed her eyes. "Well if you ask them nicely like that I'm sure-"  
  
"Be serious."  
  
"Well I don't know for sure, I don't know much about this whole resistance thing," Morada pointed out. "The only people that I know who are involved are you two, and of course Mondo.  
  
Jessie gave an exasperated sigh and turned to Misty. "What do you think? I don't know if we can take Vicious's army on our own."  
  
Misty opened her mouth part way but wasn't sure how to answer. "Well...I don't know them too well either. I may be wrong but YOU should have an idea of how these people think..." she saw Jessie's face contort angrily and hastily continued. "Besides, you and James have sneaked into hundreds of places without anyone noticing, so I'm sure we can get into the Team Vicious base without a problem even if it is just us-in fact it would be easier to get inside with less people than if we brought a small platoon with us," she pointed out, her own optimistic tone convincing her to feel hopeful.  
  
Jessie looked less than satisfied with the response. Arms crossed and frowning, she waited a moment before answering. "I'd like to point out that sneaking in is the easy part. Getting around the halls is one thing on its own-James and I were pretty good at disguising ourselves, but you kids are easily fooled. Everyone in that base has their eyes open for me instead of walking around without a damn care like you brats do. I happen to be a fugitive-kind of."  
  
"YOU don't have to sneak in," Misty pointed out, "me and Morada can do it and besides your pokemon battling would drag us down, right?" she turned to Morada who gave a peace sign.  
  
Jessie almost laughed out loud. "YOU? Take on VICIOUS?!" and then she did laugh out loud. A lot. "That's hilarious! Just the thought-you trying to take down a crime lord without the twerp to help you, you'd be creamed in two seconds!"  
  
"I could too do it alone!" Misty growled. "Besides, who says I'm going to battle Vicious? I'll just get Ash and Galatea out and leave, no battling involved!"  
  
Jessie sighed and shook her head. "Twerp I'm going to tell you something about you and your friends," she said. "You all have the uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time. More than half the time you've stopped James and I from getting away with a crime is because you just so HAPPENED to be right there. It's uncanny-and it's all up to chance."  
  
Morada swiveled her chair around and finally seemed to be paying attention as Misty got quiet again as she recalled all those times... everyone they met on the road, all those contests, saving those gyms and those buildings...would everything have turned out all right if Ash had shown up just a half hour later? How would the world be different if he'd just woken up on time the day he left Pallet?  
  
"So let's just say," Jessie continued, "that this time, your luck runs out. Say you get caught-do you really think you can handle yourself then? What if they throw you two in the dungeon with the avatar and what-it's up to ME to rescue everyone? Let's say Vicious finds you a threat. Let's say he tries to kill you-what then?"   
  
Misty fell silent. This wasn't any kind of petty crime like she'd dealt with before-sure Jessie and James would hurt someone without guilt, but killing? Not even THEY would go that far, would they?  
Maybe Ash would be able to get them out of it-Jessie was right, he did have an unnatural amount of luck-but Ash was Ash and she was Misty, and what could Misty do?  
  
AGGHH, what had happened to her? She used to be so confident, and now? Now Jessie of all people was intimidating her! But then again, Jessie was only slapping reality in her face. Sure she had been confident, but she'd had backup and now she was the only good guy-er, girl-in the area.  
She'd done a few things on her own every so often-saving that Clefairy, winning that fishing tournament-but for most of the time for most of the days she was just there. At the side. The cheering section.   
  
"See what I mean?" Jessie interrupted her thoughts. "I know these people that we're up against. I know how they work and as much as you may hate it, you're in my domain and just face it-you're lost."  
  
Morada grinned slightly and murmured, "Stranger in a strange land."  
  
"Fine." Misty bit out, more angry with herself than with Jessie. What happened to the gym leader in her? The girl who left home to become a pokemon master came back following one. Maybe she needed this fight, if not for the world than to at least prove she hadn't been tamed. "Let's go-let's ALL go-and rescue them."  
  
"Wait a sec," Morada chimed in, turning off the computer and standing up. "When you said 'all' did you mean the three of us or the entire resistance?"  
  
"I don't know if they'll help us..." Jessie pointed out.  
  
Misty was shocked. "But if Vicious gets the firewall technology-"  
  
"Then yes, we'll be in trouble," Jessie interrupted, "but remember that Vicious still has to BUILD his android army-he only just got the template, he can't have built many yet if any at all. We have more time to deal with Vicious."  
  
"True," Morada agreed. "It would be worse if Team Rocket got the specks for the firewall because Gio-I mean the Boss-has his army just ready and waiting for 'em."   
  
Misty had caught that the doctor had almost said the name of the Boss, but Jessie started talking again before she could comment.   
  
"That's right, and Botch and company know that. And don't forget, the most influential members of the resistance have other agendas," Jessie pointed out. "We've got a bunch of men and women who are in control of the manpower in the resistance, but they're more concerned with getting their partners back. They want to rescue everyone that was kidnapped before they deal with the Boss-even though they know the danger of it, they aren't going to deal with androids right away."  
  
  
  
"SHUT THEM OFF! SHUT THEM OFF! SHUT THEM ALL OFF!" Elise screamed from somewhere in the hectic mess of gunshots. Butch couldn't see her, but she wasn't the one he was looking for anyway. He hadn't heard a thing, for the bomb shelter was soundproof, so when he opened the hatch there was considerable surprise on his part upon seeing a strange and violent battle between the agents and five figures who were obviously androids.   
  
They stood in a small circle, backs to the center. All were molded after the missing partners of resistance members, except for one who he recognized as a replica of the Misty twerp. They appeared to have just woken up-still soaking and green tinted from the shock absorbing fluid, wires still dangling from their open connector nodes that covered their bare skin.   
  
But the fact that they were just activated didn't hinder their programming. In the eyes of the machines, each agent in the area was a traitor to Team Rocket for joining the resistance. Butch could see that a few members of the group were not being shot at, so that must mean the Boss still hadn't found out everyone in the opposition, but he had most of the names. Team Rocket equipped the androids with a normal gun built into one arm, and a plasma rifle on the other-the reloadable shotgun seemed to be an addition for it wasn't on the schematics for the prototype-which allowed them to shoot with the latter while the former and more deadly took a minute to charge.  
  
How they'd gotten there and how they'd been activated were questions Butch didn't have time to think about as he ducked out of the clearing and behind a clump of trees where some of his comrades lay on their bellies, shooting with the artillery the resistance had gathered.   
  
"What happened?" Butch snapped at Deija, who was hovering protectively over Lyn while shooting at the androids with his free hand.   
  
"Cassidy and Mondo accidentally activated them," Lyn answered him. "They were in the package from Seafoam port. As soon as they opened their eyes they accused nearly everyone they saw as traitors to Team Rocket-I guess that means the Boss knows about the Resistance, huh?" she asked, but before Butch could answer Deija's gun ran out of bullets and she turned away to shoot with her own revolver while her boyfriend reloaded.   
  
Butch looked out at the battlefield again and started to feel worried. He couldn't see Cassidy and Mondo anywhere, and if they were the ones who activated those things that meant they'd been right up close when the shooting started... "Deija!" he shouted suddenly, and the other man jerked up in slight panic. "Where's Cassidy-she wasn't too close to those things was she?"  
  
"I don't know if I can tell you to relax," Deija muttered, snapping the clip into place on his gun, "but she got out of the way real fast when those things woke up-dragged Mondo off with her and screamed at everyone to get down. I didn't see where she went, but last I saw she and the kid were alive."  
  
Feeling a rush of relief, Butch relaxed just a little but his eyes scanned the clearing for any sign of bright blonde hair. He wasn't sure if he should fight here with Deija and Lyn, trusting Cassidy to take care of herself--for she clearly knew what she was doing-or go out into the mess of bullets and plasma to look for her. "And what about Jessie and that kid that looks like one of the androids?"  
  
Lyn looked back up at him. "I heard a rumor over the Rocket Network that the Boss was meeting with James, so maybe Jessie went to HQ to check that out. All I know is she's been gone for a long time, left hours before the attack even started." She paused, grunted, and picked up another clip. "As for Misty," Lyn continued, "If there was an android who looked like me in the immediate area that people were shooting at, well, it'd be smart to get away real fast just incase there was a mix up."   
  
Butch nodded and looked around. Lyn, Deija, and a few others had dug a shallow ditch and everyone was laying on their stomachs to shoot from behind the scrappy shield of thin trees. Grabbing a gun from a small pile, Butch moved into a half crouch and started to walk to the right.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lyn snapped. "Stay down you moron!"  
  
"I'm gonna look for Cassidy and Mondo," Butch shouted back at her. "They could be somewhere around the perimeter."  
  
"But-" Lyn began to protest but Deija interrupted her.   
  
"Let him go, Lyn," he said sternly, knowing how Butch was feeling at the moment. "He'll be fine, just let him find his partner."  
  
She glared at the man she loved, made a growling noise and hunched her shoulders. "Fine."  
  
Butch only got around ten yards before he heard the warning shouts that the androids had separated. No longer in the easy to target group (although the bullets had little effect anyway) the five synthoids were advancing in different directions, shooting and implementing their programmed karate on the agents who had no choice but to run.   
He walked faster.  
  
  
  
"Glad you could make it, James," Domino smiled in a bittersweet way.   
  
James glared up at her and wondered when he'd gotten brave enough to try and trick the Boss like this. "Wouldn't miss it."  
  
The Boss had arranged the meeting in a field with a few sparsely growing trees, which eventually became the Ilex forest. Four helicopters, the biggest as the Rocket Elite flagship, sat on the grass with pilots in the cockpit ready to move as soon as the exchange had been made. Domino, the Boss, and a few of their guards stood high above James (just to be threatening) on top of a helicopter platform.   
  
Domino hopped down, not bothering with the ramp, and grinned. James was here, and the android was right behind him; instead of punishment from the Boss, she'd be rewarded-my my, how good life can be. "Well?" she demanded impatiently.   
  
James stepped aside to face his red-haired companion. "Scan the man on the platform, Jessie," he told the android, "you'll see he's your Boss. His orders are to go with him."  
  
There was a pause while the woman looked up at the Boss, sitting on the chair. "Confirmed," she said in a voice that was almost forced and a bit uneven. Then she walked slowly up the ramp and stood near the Boss who seemed satisfied.   
  
James nodded and looked back at Domino. "Happy?" he asked her, then faced upward at his former employer. "I brought her, now tell me how to get Jessie's personality back."  
  
The Boss smirked slyly and stepped forward. "I told you, James, I need to get a program out of her systems first, then I'll give you her personality file to upload yourself-or my scientists can do it for you. You'll have your Jessica back, with all her memories, by this time tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow!" James shouted angrily, and Domino stepped forward to block his way to the ramp, even though she doubted if he'd actually try and physically attack the Boss. "Why can't you give me the file now?"  
  
"Because James," the tone of the answer sounded impatient, "I told you that I need a program from her first. I will take her back to base, get the program out, put the memory files in and bring back this machine right here at the same time same place tomorrow, understand?"   
  
James looked skeptical. "How do I know you'll do it? Bring her back that is?"  
  
Domino thought she saw the Boss's eye twitch. "What would I want with it?" he growled. "I've updated the schematics and built better models-this thing is obsolete!" he pointed at the android. "I could destroy her, but how would that get you out of my hair? You annoy me to no end, James, and if I give you your partner back I expect never to see either of your faces again so long as I live-you don't realize the favor I'm doing you by not shooting you on the spot." He clenched his fists and continued with gritted teeth and a slightly calmer voice. "I'll disassemble her weapons and scanning abilities. She'll be as good as a human with a metal skeleton-but don't expect to have any children. Be back here tomorrow if you want her that badly, otherwise she'll be melted down to make a desk chair."   
With that, he turned and left and with a motion the android followed. Domino smiled-her reward would come soon. Everything was going according to plan. She turned back to James and flipped her hair. "Well nice seeing you again, Jimmy," she smiled. "Don't expect me to bother with stupid deliveries like your little robot toy-I won't be here tomorrow but we'll send some people to drop her off."  
She turned to walk away, but stopped and looked back over her shoulder.   
  
  
James watched her turn back, and this time when she spoke there was less confidence and more icy anger. "I don't ever want to see you again-maybe I even want to see you less than the Boss does you've caused me so much trouble. Don't show your face in Team Rocket again, hear?"  
  
He gave a sort of smile. "Don't worry, I don't want anything to do with any of you anymore," he told her, and that was the truth. "So don't give me a reason to come back-no more kidnapping my friends. I'll stay out of your way."  
  
She gave him a skeptical glare, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. She knew the boy had ambition-wanting to be the boss and everything-but for someone with such high goals he was more of a follower. There was probably nothing to worry about. Probably. She turned and left, walking up the ramp and onto the platform.   
Five minutes later the helicopters were out of sight, and James turned and ran as fast as he could towards the trees of the Ilex.  
  
The Boss hadn't handed over the real Jessie-probably all they were planning to do if they even came the next day was give him an altered...well, what they thought was an android. And that meant that Crazy Collin was right, and Vicious had the real Jessie, but after handing over his only decoy to Team Rocket, she'd be much harder to rescue.  
  
"James, what did youz do?" Meowth's voice came from overhead, startling him. The cat was in the balloon, already hovering low enough for James to jump in.  
  
"No, Meowth," he called, running up to the basket and grabbing his friend. "We can't use the balloon, they have helicopters. They'll spot us from the air."  
  
Deciding not to bother trying to figure out the boy who had never made sense in the first place, Meowth shrugged his tiny shoulders. "Where are wez headin now? Jessie should be in Viridian-"  
  
"I know that," James snapped as they reached the border of the Ilex and continued to run through the thicket. "It's where we're going."  
  
Meowth didn't realize that James was talking about the android (who he believed was Jessie) but instead thought that his friend knew about Jessie, Misty, and Morada's plan to rescue the android and the twerp. (author's note: I'm sorry if this is confusing)   
  
"But wait!" the cat snapped. "Dats too far to run, it would be a day or two's trip at top speed-we needs da balloon!"   
  
James smiled confidently. "You're forgetting that Morada's house is in this forest, and I've got the keys to her car."  
  
Meowth laughed and pat his friend on the shoulder with one paw. "Youz really did somethin' right dis time, James. I'm shocked."  
  
"Why, thank you."  
  
"But one thing Meowth wants ta know..."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Who was dat youz gave to da Boss?"  
  
  
  
"I want the schematics for that firewall right away," Giovanni ordered. They were still in the helicopter, but his agents had enough equipment in the cargo hold to get started with the file defragmentation.  
  
"Yes sir!" shouted the scientists in unison as they opened their laptops and untangled the wires in a box of microchips. Domino hovered over them, constantly checking their work and using her black tulip rod to give them incentive to go faster.   
  
Finally they were ready to begin, and Domino led the android to a chair between the head computer experts on the Team. One took a small metal stick and prodded places on the avatar's forehead, but nothing happened. "Sir?" he said to the boss, "I can't find the switch for the holographic system, and I can't connect her to the computer if I can't find the access ports."  
  
"Well find them," Giovanni growled back. To the best of his memory, the holographic imaging system could only give the appearance of unflawed skin on the android, the scientists should still be able feel the nodes, so why the trouble plugging the thing in?  
  
"Can I ask you a question?" the android suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone, including Giovanni. "If you're supposed to be some big crime lord, why didn't you just shoot James back there? It's not as if I want you to do it, I don't, but I am rather curious."  
  
Curious? An android couldn't be curious. Giovanni didn't like this at all-something was wrong.   
  
"It's because of the real Jessica Miyamoto," Giovanni responded carefully. "She's a real monster, and as submissive as she is to authority she certainly doesn't care much about personal safety, which is a bad type of person to make an enemy of."  
  
The android tilted her head back and slanted her eyes. "I see," she said.   
Perhaps with the firewall down she could have curiosity, but there was something else... maybe it was the androids voice. It was too cool...too confident...too human... to...southern?  
"But..." she continued, "There are even more dangerous people to be on the bad side of. Such as..." from behind her back she produced a whip and, with a slightly cruel but mostly insane smile cracked it near the Boss's foot.  
  
"Me!" she finished, cracking the whip again, and this time with aim. Giovanni had to jump back to avoid it.   
  
"Who are you?" he demanded.   
  
Primly, she pointed to herself. "Little ol me?" she asked in mock innocence. "Why my name's Jessibelle," she said, and snapped her whip with a dominating smile, "and I'm going to punish you for the improper treatment of a lady!"  
  
Meanwhile, in the Ilex... Meowth was laughing his tail off. "Youz is cruel, James. Youz is just plain cruel."  
  
  
  
Officer Jennys were checking luggage near the platform exit when Morada, Jessie, and Misty stepped off the train into Viridian City Station. With the crime activity in the area the bag raids didn't surprise either Jessie or Misty, but both did receive a shock as they saw Mrs. Ketchum and Prof. Oak standing with the head Jenny.  
  
"Hey! It's Ash's mom!" Misty cried, pointing to the woman with the professor. "OVER HERE-"  
  
Jessie silenced her with a hand over the girl's mouth. "What do you think you're doing? Low profile, remember?"  
  
Morada nodded and dragged them over to the Saffron City platform, out of police earshot but within visibility range. "Look," she said to the disgruntled Misty, who was having a hushed argument that appeared silly with vibrant arm motions. "Even if you know those people over there, Jessie and I happen to be wanted Criminals. I might be able to get through-nobody knows me after all-but every bounty hunter, police officer, and anyone who's been following the Rocket Network is on the lookout for Jessie!"  
  
"Then maybe we shouldn't have taken public transportation!" Misty snapped back.  
  
"Hey, I have a disguise," Jessie pointed out. She was wearing a wig with long black hair and a pink dress that didn't suit her at all. Misty felt grateful that at the very least she'd toned the wardrobe down a little, but even then Jessie was tall enough to stand out.   
  
"AAAAAAND," Morada continued, "YOU, kid, are on a list of missing persons! The second Jenny sees you, she'll haul your butt down to the station and start asking you question after question-won't let you out of her sight."  
  
Misty saw her point. She couldn't very well just waltz out of a police station to raid a criminal base. "Well..." she tried, "what if the police helped us rescue everyone?"  
  
"Oh, great idea," Jessie muttered sarcastically. "Then they'll arrest everyone in the resistance and you'll be making yourself some real friends then, won't ya?"  
  
Morada put a hand on Misty's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "Look," she said, "I know this is probably hard for you to understand, but the right thing to do won't always be the thing that gets the right results. It's in your nature to expect the police to solve things, but you don't understand that in this case, they can't do anything and getting the Jennys involved will just make things worse."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's like this," Jessie answered, taking over. "Team Rocket is a highly sophisticated criminal organization. We aren't tied up with protocol and restrictions-we can experiment with anything we want without guilt over the consequences."  
  
"That's horrible."  
  
"That may be, but because of that we have incredibly advanced technology. We can chemically enhance the strength of a pokemon, or use mind control on them to get what we want done. We even have cloning technology."  
  
Morada nodded. "And then there's the weapons," she added, "Team Rocket is a society. People are born into it, and they die within it, and from the moment they join they are groomed in the best interests of the Team."  
  
Misty was starting to feel uncomfortable with this conversation, but was strangely drawn in. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, for example," Jessie started, "I was born into Team Rocket, and they tried to put me in training to be a professional assassin."  
  
"A-a WHAT!?" Misty yelled, and Morada yanked her behind a pillar as people sitting nearby looked up. "You were a what?" Misty repeated in disbelieving whisper.   
  
Jessie waved the comment away like it meant nothing. "That was what I was supposed to do, but I never even started training-before you train they test you. They shoved a pidgey in my face, gave me a gun, and told me to shoot it-long story short I didn't have a problem with punching it to the next county but I couldn't kill the thing. But that doesn't mean I don't know how-and I will if I ever need to. Killing to defend your own life is one thing, killing in cold blood is another. You have to have the right stomach to be an assassin, and when Madame Boss saw I couldn't handle it she reassigned me to take over my mothers old job."  
  
"What was your mo-" Misty started to ask about Jessie's family, but then caught sight of Morada over Jessie's shoulder, who was making big arm motions to warn her against the subject. "SOOOOOO, what were saying about the weapons, Morada?"  
  
"YEAH! That's right I was gonna talk about weapons, huh?" the doctor smiled, realizing she'd gone off track again. "Well what I was trying to say is that even though Jessie here couldn't handle killing, there sure are plenty in Team Rocket who wouldn't give it a second thought-even some sickos who enjoy it but I think most of them moved to Team Vicious. And there's hardly any member of Team Rocket who'd care about hurting someone."  
  
Jessie picked up from there. "Combine that kind of mind with our advanced technology, and you have incredibly powerful weapons owned by people who aren't afraid to use them. Police officers who try to protect life wouldn't stand a chance against them."   
  
Misty was starting to see their point. Team Rocket, Team Vicious, and the Resistance were the only people who could handle battling each other. This was an inner conflict. If the police arrested the Rocket rebellion, then there would be nobody to battle Team Rocket and Team Vicious.   
Criminals battling to protect people from criminals-what a world.   
  
"Get it?" Morada asked. "If the police find you now they might find the resistance and then we'd all be screwed."  
  
Misty was starting to panic. "But when can I go back to my normal life?"  
  
Jessie sighed. "I knew it and I told you. Didn't I warn you that you were in deep? Didn't I tell you this would happen? You just don't listen at all..." it was strange, but Misty had a feeling that Jessie felt sorry for her, after all the woman was born into this kind of life and was obviously in deeper than she'd ever be.   
  
"You can't go back," Morada finished. "Not until this is over."  
  
Still in shock, and now a bit afraid, Misty nodded numbly. "Okay...then let's finish this."  
  
  
  
"What are you doing?" Ash asked. Galatea had been sitting quietly in the cell for hours, hardly moving at all. She'd been mouthing words, but he'd heard nothing, and she appeared to be completely focused on the blinking lights within her own eyes. Ash figured she must be doing something important so he'd stayed quiet until now, but finally his minimal patience had worn too thin. "HEY! Are we gonna do anything about trying to escape?"  
  
"My orders..." she said quietly, still not looking anywhere in particularly.   
  
"What?"  
  
"My orders are to destroy the traitors," Galatea answered. Her voice was low and Ash didn't like it.   
  
"You mean kill them, don't you?" he snapped. "Well no way. I won't let you kill anyone-let the police handle this, we'll go to officer Jenny as soon as we escape but to do that I need you to break down this door so COME ON!"   
  
"My orders..." she repeated. And then, in a whisper and an altered tone, "My choice..."  
  
Ash hardly heard it. "Huh?"  
  
For the first time in a long time she moved, and turned to face him. Also for the first time, Ash felt her eyes completely on him instead of partly off somewhere else, scanning this or analyzing that. "I don't HAVE to do anything anymore," she said slowly. "the humanity program was activated... doesn't being human mean you have a choice? Can't you humans do what you want to?"  
  
"Well..." Ash started off, not quite knowing what to tell her. "Being human is hard to explain. Sure we can do what we want, but you also have a responsibility to choose if you're going to do what's right or what's wrong."  
  
"But that's still a choice-out of the things you want?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess," he agreed after considering it. "Why are you asking, anyway?"  
  
She was silent for a moment, and once more her vision seemed diverted to somewhere else. "I don't know what I want," she finally said. "Therefore I don't know what to do. I have always relied on my programming because that's what I was built to do. It is my purpose." There was another pause and she looked back at him again. "What is a human's purpose?"  
  
Ash laughed. "Well I don't know the answer to THAT! Nobody does!" he assured her. "So don't worry about not having the answers, you can't get everything from your programming."  
  
"There is nothing besides programming," Galatea reminded him. "You, boy, I have observed that you follow your dreams, your ultimate goal. I have neither. I do know that most religions believe that it is the soul of a human that makes the person-I don't have one of those, either."  
  
Ash crossed his arms, not understanding this one bit. Teachers had tried to explain philosophy to him before, but all had failed miserably for it was obvious pokemon was the only thing of interest to Ash. For him, life was a straightforward and simple thing. He had to become a pokemon master. How? Easy. Catch lots of pokemon, make friends with them, learn as much as he could, win his battles, collect all the badges and somewhere along the line he would get it done. Maybe after that he could even settle down and start his own gym or school for training. Whatever Galatea was getting at just wasn't registering in his mind, but he knew the cure. "You know what you need, Galatea?"  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"A goal," Ash stated matter-o-factly. "Something to work towards. Something to feel accomplished over."  
  
Galatea narrowed her eyes. "Like your goal, the mastering of pocket monsters?" Ash nodded. "And why is that?"  
  
He opened his mouth, and let it hand there for it just hit him he had absolutely no idea. He'd always wanted to become a pokemon master, like his father had been. But he really didn't even know why his father had wanted such a thing. It was his dream simply because it was his dream, and it always had been. He couldn't imagine life any other way. "Just because I want to I suppose."  
  
"And that's where I started from," she said. "There's nothing I want, therefore I can never achieve a purpose in 'life'. Without that, even with the humanity program, it seems I should follow my original programming. At least that way I will not become superfluous."   
  
"Ser-what?"  
  
"Superfluous. Unnecessary. A machine is built to function in a certain way," she explained. "When it can no longer do that, or when it is not needed, then the machine has exceeded its purpose and becomes superfluous. If I become that way, it would be the human equivalent of dying."  
  
Ash considered what parts he could understand. What he did know was that if Galatea followed her original programming, she would not stop until everyone in the Team Vicious base was dead. He'd have to convince her to use her humanity program to avoid a killing spree, but how could he convince an android that for her, becoming something more than a machine was something she could really do and not super-something. But Galatea didn't think she could do it! She believed that because she wanted nothing, she'd have no purpose to work towards. So, what Galatea needed was something to want...  
  
"Well..." Ash tried as he remembered something important. "I thought there was something that you wanted."  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Back at the cabin..." he reminded her. "Didn't you yell 'I want to understand'?" She was silent, but did not disagree with him so Ash continued. "Look, I don't know what it was you wanted to understand, but why don't you make finding an answer the goal you need to become human?"  
  
Galatea, it seemed, was skeptical. "How would that be beneficial?"  
  
"Well, your humanity program is active, right?" Ash pointed out. "You should use it! If you don't, it'll be superman."  
  
"Superfluous."  
  
"That's what I meant."  
  
  
  
By the time James and Meowth reached Morada's car, the cat had filled him in on what was happening at Vicious's base.   
"So the one Collin was ranting about isn't really Jessie?" James pouted.   
  
"Dat's right," Meowth nodded. "Dat was de android doing a pretty good impression if I do say so myself-she even fooled Meowth."  
  
James grumbled something and put the key in the ignition. "Great. So once again I have no idea where the real Jessie is, and now I suppose I've got some personal responsibility to rescue Galatea and that Twerp-and rescuing people just happens to be one of my specialties," he added sarcastically.   
  
"Don't worry, James," the pokemon assured him. "I talked to da real Jessie and I talked to da Doc and last I heard dey was gonna head out ta Viridian and dey said something about bringin da resistance but I dunno if dat'll woirk."  
  
"You talked to the real Jessie?" James asked in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me? Is she okay? And wait, are you SURE she's the real one because I'm starting to loose track of who has what Jessie."  
  
"Meowth can't be positive till I sees her," the cat said, crossing his arms, then giving a sort of grin. "You'd probably be able to tell, wouldn't ya Jimmy?" James frowned, starting the car and pulling out of the tiny garage and into the forest. Would he really be able to tell the difference? He'd let the Boss trick him before, would he fall for another fake on his own? What if he saw the real one and didn't even know? Some friend he would be...  
  
"I Can't believe this," he complained later on. "I was in Viridian-she was in Mahogany with that resistance Botch was talking about. That idiot, I told him to let me know if anything happened." Frustrated, he pressed down on the pedal harder. The Ilex wasn't that far at all from Viridian, it was merely a simple drive past the Indigo Plateau. A day's walk, it wasn't more than an hour or so by car and he would have been there by now if it hadn't taken so long to navigate through the Ilex's large trees. "Then, when I leave Viridian to find her, she heads right for where I was-what, is there some sort of higher power trying to keep us separated!?"  
  
Meowth opened his eyes and groggily rolled over. "Yeah sure, whatever," he mumbled in a sleepy voice, and closed his eyes again.  
  
James slammed his foot on the break, and the car lurched forward with a screech before stopping short as it left a long trail of tire marks. He had to catch Meowth before he collided with the windshield. The cat shook his head to clear it, looking insulted and disheveled. "What did yous do dat for, ya moron!?"  
  
James glared at the pokemon. "Are you saying you actually believe there's something trying to separate us?"  
  
Meowth narrowed his large eyes. "I hardly remember the question-Meowth wasn't paying much attention to youz. But really, I thought you were a drama student-a flunking one, but you like to call yourself an actor. You should know that most good plotlines involve a test of loyalty, or friendship, or love, or some kind of crap like that." Seeing that James wasn't following, Meowth decided to shorten it into terms the human could understand. "Basically...coincidental wise, your luck sucks."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
They drove in silence for a while. Not complete silence of course, for Morada's ugly little sky-blue convertible, supposedly a "classic", kept making strange noises from behind the duct-taped-on bumper.   
"Some reunion this is," James muttered as they passed the Indigo Plateau. The Pokemon League tournament wouldn't start for another two months, so James turned right to cut through the trainer's village-it would be empty this time of year.  
  
Meowth's ear twitched. "What was dat?"  
  
"I said that this is some reunion," James repeated louder. "I know what goes on at reunions, I was dragged to my parents' high school one once. Everybody's hugging and telling stories, catching up and reminiscing-we haven't done any of that. It was all basically a 'hello again, lets go bag an android' as if nothing happened but everything changed."  
  
The cat sighed. "You're mad at me for leaving, aren't yous?"  
  
James looked up. "What? No-I mean yes, a bit, but that wasn't my point," he stammered. After a long silence he spoke again, "So what happened to you after you left?"   
  
"Eh..." Meowth waved a paw, "Dis 'n dat."  
  
"Meowth..."  
  
"Oh fine," he growled. "To be honest wid yous, yous were da reason I left in da first place."  
  
"Me?" James asked, quite taken aback and a little insulted.   
  
"Yeah," nodded the pokemon. "When Jessie vanished, I didn't believe for a second dat she'd gotten dat promotion da Boss talked about-remember, I may not be da Top Cat anymore but dere was a time when Meowth knew all da Boss's little secrets."   
They drove out of Trainer's Village, Viridian forest was only a mile or so away, but James had to cut the headlights and slow down almost to a crawl for the car was too noisy. Already dark outside.   
"I figured da Boss killed her."  
  
"What?" James was obviously shocked at his friend's assumption. "Why would the Boss do that? I mean we weren't the best team in the Team, but he didn't even bother with me or you-why would you think something like that for just Jessie?"  
  
Meowth looked too serious for James's taste. "Jessie goes a lot farther back into Team Rocket den she's probably told yous, so you can ask her dat question when we find her," he said sternly. "But at any rate, dat's what I thought, and Meowth didn't have da heart to tell yous, since when Jessie was gone ya basically shut down. I didn't wanna make it woirse when I didn't have any proof or nuttin."  
  
James could understand that. He'd never had the best self-esteem, nobody could with his parents. He and Jessie had both been told from young ages they were worthless, useless, and would ultimately fail in life. James had believed those people, and his sense of self worth had all but diminished, but not Jessie. Jessie had taken those comments and fed on them. She'd developed such a sense of confidence that it often bordered on megalomania, and the harder she fell-and she always fell-the stronger she became.   
As far as James was concerned, there were only two things he did that bothered her: stupid mistakes, which were merely mistakes or some lack of understanding, and his negative attitude (which usually came in the form of whining). Sure she would be mean or violent, but it was usually punishment for pessimism-a punch in the nose for calling himself a looser, or a kick in the side for saying they'd never win. Basically it was never give up hope, or suffer the painful repercussions. She'd always been a hopeful girl, and only when she'd lost that would they ever give up.  
  
What Meowth had said was true; when she disappeared he really had shut down. All optimism was gone, and confidence shattered. Those negative thoughts had returned and overwhelmed him, and the cat wasn't strong enough to keep him in check.  
  
Meowth was continuing. "I couldn't do a thing about yous," he said. "I tried to help ya, but I doubt if yous ever noticed it. So I got mad, mad at da Boss." Meowth extended his claws for a moment, then retracted them with a jerking paw. "From da way I saw it, he killed one of my humans and pretty much stole the soul of da other and Meowth wanted revenge-but there wasn't much I could really do by myself, and yous were in no condition to help and neither was Mondo, so I found Vicious."  
  
James hid an inward smile from the 'my humans' part and focused on the last portion of what his friend said. "You tracked him down on purpose? So it wasn't something you just got involved in?"  
  
The cat nodded in almost shame. "I helped him set up Team Vicious," Meowth confessed. "I told him which members of da Team wanted revenge on one thing or another, I pointed out dose scary ones dat wanted more violence in protocol, and I tolds him all da Boss's secrets dat weren't too dangerous to let out."  
  
James brought the car to a halt. He had always known that Meowth harbored a taste for revenge, but he'd never thought the cat would ever go this far... "Did you tell him about the android project?"  
  
"No, he found about dat one on his own," Meowth replied, somehow looking old. "Jess was psycho, but I loved her anyway-I know you did. Dere was dis one, great day when Meowth found out about da androids and Vicious got his plan to get some and start da war-Meowth thought, dis is finally it, da Boss'll finally pay for it all... but den Vicious's spies brought bad a picture of da prototype and I saw it was Jessie, or at least something dat looked like her. And den da spies said she'd been used as a template, and was still alive...everything went to hell."  
  
"H-how do you mean?" James inquired carefully, for his friend seemed a bit unstable at the moment.   
  
"If da Boss had Jessie den she'd be killed when Vicious attacked," Meowth pointed out. "I tried to tell Vicious ta call off da attack, but da whole ting was out of Meowth's control. I'd told him all he needed ta know and da guy could do his war widdout me easy if he got da prototype, so I tried to figure out a way to keep him from getting it."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
(author's note: this is where I get mean and make you remember things from chapter 1, heheheh )  
  
"When I found out dat da transport for da android was running through Le Cerebii, I called da manager and asked him, as an official representative for Vicious, to send a list of possible curriers for da transport. When I saw your name on da list it all fell into place-I knew dat when yous saw the Jessie android you wouldn't turn it into Vicious. Meowth knew yous would keep her safe, and you finally came through for once."   
  
James tried to say something, but found his jaw immobile. What could he say to this? Oh, he knew just the thing, "We're here, Meowth."   
And in front of them loomed the trees of the Viridian Forest, with a deadly prison, the only way to meet everyone again.  
  
  
  
"I am really not going to get used to this," Jessie complained in a whisper. "Whenever I look down, all I can think is I'm wearing the wrong letter, like a factory rejected shirt of something." She was referring to the bright red 'V' on her disguise. She, Misty, and Morada managed to find a trash pile with some old uniforms, usually with rips and tears people were too lazy to sew up. Jessie's shirt had only one and a half sleeves. Misty's pants had holes all over the knees (which would have looked cool if they weren't a size too big, and if her knees weren't so bony). And then there was Morada, who had to wear a shirt under her knew 'uniform', for there was a giant tear right across the V.   
  
"I know what you mean," Misty agreed. "You look weird without an R."  
  
Morada arched her eyebrows and looked Jessie up and down. "I'm starting to wonder if you've ever worn normal clothing before."  
  
"Har har," the woman countered, and slammed the lid on the garbage can shut. She then climbed up on top of it, and tried to pry open the nearest window.   
  
After a short wait, Misty tapped her foot and yelled up, "I thought you and James did this all the time! What's taking so long?"  
  
"James," Jessie grunted, giving the frame another hard tug, "picked the locks. Every so often I'd kick down a door but this certainly isn't the time for that."  
  
"Well, why don't you use your pokemon?"  
  
Jessie stopped pulling for a moment and glared down at the girl. "Why don't YOU use one of YOUR pokemon?"  
  
Crossing her arms, Misty took it as a personal insult. "My pokemon were taken by your stupid organization and as soon as we get Ash out of here I'm going to go find them!"  
  
"I know that," Jessie replied, taking off a glove and trying to unscrew the frame with her nails. "So if you were in a Rocket prison for three days and your pokemon were taken, what makes you think that after five years I'll still have MY pokemon?"  
  
Misty opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again in sort of pity. She'd been without her pokemon for days, and was worried sick, but still clinging to the hope she'd see them again. That their loyalty wouldn't change after a mere week or so. But five years? Without her pokemon for five years? How horrible...  
  
"I got it!" Jessie exclaimed with a laugh and a flash of her old rocket attitude.   
  
Morada watched her as she took out the window frame and paused back the screen with ease. "Huh, you did get it," she murmured in calm surprise. "Go figure, I just lost a bet to myself."  
  
"Ha ha," Jessie retorted, "hold this." She handed the doctor the frame and hopped inside the window. "You next, twerp, the coast is clear," she called down to them.   
Reluctantly, and with one last, longing glance and the trees that barred her freedom, Misty climbed the garbage can with minimal difficulty and hauled herself through the window. Morada came up a moment later, and that was that.  
  
"So where to?" Misty asked, elbowing Jessie who'd been looking around the closed they'd climbed into.   
  
Jessie shrugged. "Like I said before, this place blew up. I don't know the lay of all this anymore."   
  
"Well..." Morada started, moving to the door and putting an ear to it. "all I got from the map I saw is that the dungeon is on the other side of the old obstacle course." Hearing nothing from the side of the door, she opened it to reveal a darkened hall. "So if the obstacle course is still in tact then it survived the explosion."   
  
"How?" asked Misty.  
  
"It was underground," Jessie informed her. "And that means we're on the lookout for a door to the basement."  
  
The two women walked into the hallway and vanished into the shadows. Misty stood in the doorway for a moment, hands on her hips. "Basements, obstacle courses, greeaaaaat," she muttered before following the criminals into the darkness.   
  
  
  
"Cassidy?" Butch tried to shout over the gunshots. Of course there was no answer. She'd have to be nearby to hear him, and if she was nearby he'd have seen her. Grumbling, he took out his gun and aimed it at the nearest android, who seemed to be giving another guy some trouble. It was the one shaped like that Misty girl-and if the real kid could fight like the machine did she'd work forever.   
  
He almost took a shot, but then thought about how it would do little good. It took repeated shots to do even a little damage to the machines. They were covered in false blood, but underneath the imitation skin lay almost bulletproof panels that would need to break to reveal the circuitry.   
Besides, shooting would only draw attention to himself. But then again, that android would kill that other guy if he didn't do something... But what did he care? Butch sighed, knowing he was the leader of this dammed operation, and that title forced at least a little responsibility on his shoulders. He didn't plan on deserting his teammates like the Boss did. He would NOT turn into that man...  
  
Holding up the gun once more, he tried to aim for one of the already open holes. He shot twice, and missed once, but android-Misty turned to look in his direction. Butch figured she'd go for where the shot came from, so he dropped the gun and ran, hoping to buy himself some more time and loose her in the trees.   
  
He ran for a long time, not sure where he was going or if she was following or not. Finally, hearing nothing, he stopped to rest. He tried to think, what should he do? He had no gun now, and that was just peachy, and he was even more off course than ever.   
  
Butch sat down on a log and tried to sort things out in his mind. He liked to think he knew Cassidy pretty well, what would she do in this kind of situation? First of all, she always had a backup plan-of course that was when SHE was the person doing the assaulting, so in this case... Oh come on, he could think of this! She would... she would... Well, if she couldn't fight, she'd run, wouldn't she? She'd run until she could collect herself and fight again, and better than before. Cassidy always wanted to do things better, so why run if you could drive?   
That's it! She'd go straight to where the resistance kept the cars they stole!   
Rising, he started to run again.  
  
It took around fifteen minutes to get there, for he had to stop and rest once, and turn twice to avoid the androids. Finally he got there, more or less in one piece.  
  
Three jeeps-one with a flat-and the confiscated truck were all the resistance had, and the truck was back at android-attack central. One jeep was missing, that was good, it meant survivors-maybe Cassidy and Mondo-had escaped, but then again it could also be an android going to inform Team Rocket.   
Butch ran to the last Jeep, and was considerably surprised to see Doris of all people, trying to start the engine.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he demanded in shock and disappointment that she wasn't who he'd been searching for.  
  
She jumped in surprise at hearing his voice, and turned to face him with glassy eyes on the verge of crying. "I gotta get out of here," she whimpered. "Those things are coming after me, but when they're done here, what if they find Collin?" she kept shaking, but her voice only cracked a few times. "He thinks I'm dead, so I have to find the dummy and tell him he's wrong." Doris tried to force a smile, but when she found she could not her tone became serious.  
"Never mind," she breathed, turning away from him and trying the starter again. "I don't have to explain myself to you. Just get in the car, you won't last long in this kind of gunfire. I'm leaving."  
  
Butch understood how she felt. Doris only stuck around to try and find Collin, but now she was taking the initiative and finding him herself. She had no reason to stay with the doomed rebellion.   
  
That was something else to consider: Doris only stayed as long as she did to find a link to her partner. Butch had his partner-pretty much-so why had he stuck around? Why hadn't he taken Cassidy and left when he'd gotten the chance?   
Perhaps it was out of a sense of revenge-he still wanted to settle a score with the Boss. But maybe he was just getting old, a sense of responsibility finally taking over.   
He'd brought the resistance together, and even though he most certainly wasn't fit to be a leader, they turned to him anyway...  
  
"Well come on!" Doris shouted in his ear, growing impatient and slightly panicky. "Get in the damn car, I finally got it started."  
  
Butch shook his head. Yeah, it would be easy to run, but for some reason, easy didn't like him. "Actually I came over here to look for Cassidy."  
  
"Cassidy?" Doris repeated. "Oh I bet she'd be here-if the gunfire hadn't driven her and Mondo in completely the opposite direction."  
  
Butch slapped his forehead and cursed. "Well then I better get going..."  
  
Doris nodded, knowing what he was up to. "I'd try looking back at the underground base. Mondo was working on the codes for those robots, he might have gone back to see if there's a way to stop those things."   
  
"Right," Butch nodded. "Good luck," he told her, before turning around and heading back into the distant sounds of gunfire. Behind him, he heard the jeep's motor rev and the tires screech as Doris drove off.   
And that was that. She was off to find the person for her path in life, and he was off to find his-preferably before she got herself killed.   
  
  
His men had successfully taken care of the intruder (after a VERY long fight) and Jessibelle now sat inside one of the helicopter bathrooms, tied with her own whip and quite angry.   
Giovanni had to admit, that woman, that freakish Jessie lookalike, had done serous damage. Everyone in the cabin was injured, including him and Domino. They were lucky the crazy woman had enough sense not to attack the pilot or else they'd have crashed by now.   
  
"Are you all right, sir?" Domino asked, staring at his arm, which was bleeding a bit. Bruises already were showing on his face, and his suit was tattered from when the whip scared Persian and the pokemon clawed him.   
  
"I'll be fine," he grumbled. "Who was she and how does James know such a maniac!?"   
  
"Weelll..." Domino started, making imaginary circles in the floor with her toe. "I interrogated her and... she's James's fiancé."  
  
Giovanni opened his mouth to shout in surprise but instead paused mid breath, and commented, "I was wondering how he'd put up with Jessie for so long. After that woman, Jessie must have been a breath of fresh air, but the similarity is uncanny." After a moment, he remembered why he'd asked about her in the first place. "Why did she attack me?"  
  
"Weelll..." there was that well again. "She was under the impression, and suppose this is James's doing, that YOU, sir, said James ordered James not to marry her."   
  
Giovanni didn't know what surprised him more: that the woman who had actually breached the Jessie barrier of temper tantrums WANTED to marry some idiot like James, or that James could actually stand to be around Jessie after all that.   
"Let me get this straight..." he tried. "There's the real Jessie, the android Jessie, and the loud, angry, southern Jessie..."  
  
"That's right, sir."  
  
"It's ridiculous."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Shaking his head and recovering his professional demeanor, Giovanni gave the order to turn the helicopter around. "If James tired to cheat us, then someone must have offered him a better deal for the android. If he knows it's not really Jessie he probably won't mind selling it."  
  
"Right," Domino nodded, picking up a pokeball and returning a very wounded Persian to it.   
  
"And the only one who knows about the android and has enough to pay for it, is Vicious," he noted. "Tell the pilot to head for the Viridian forest, it's time to settle things."  
  
  
Collin slammed the bulled pack into his gun, and snapped the safety shut with just too little force to accidentally shoot the thing. "I'll solve this myself..." he muttered to himself over and over... "she'll be avenged, and no unfinished business..." he repeated it like a mantra, mind all but gone.   
If that woman in the underground cell was the real Jessie, then he'd use her. Since James hadn't contacted Vicious, he'd take Jessie to James himself and trade her for the android... yes, that would work... and he'd get the android and avenge Doris... and then... and then...  
But wait! Wait wait wait wait...  
"No unfinished business... solve this myself..."  
If James hadn't come for her, then he'd abandoned her! Damn him damn him damn him... abandoning a partner...  
"unforgivable..." the word became his new chant. "unforgivable unforgivable unforgivable..."  
Had to punish... had to make the traitor see...   
Letting true love go just like that "Unforgivable" He had do die.   
  
James would die, "Solve this myself..." he'd take the android and kill the Boss "she'll be avenged..." and that would be that, his work would be over, "no unfinished business..."   
  
The gun had three bullets. Three bullets to correct the world. One for James, one for the Boss, and one for himself... Smiling, he put the weapon at its place on his belt.   
Now, first target...  
"...unforgivable..."  
  
  
tbc.  
  
  
ok people, like I said at the top, due to scheduling errors the NEXT chapter will be the last. Now not that it may take a while to finish because summer school is starting and that will not stop but slow my writing a bit. But after school I go on vacation and I'll be away for around a month.  
However I will do my best to finish before I leave, so thanks to all of you who've been so patient ^_^  
  
Please review!! 


	12. i like quoting people

Here's a quote I believe fits, but you can be the judge:  
  
"Any coward can fight a battle when he is sure of winning; but give me the man who has pluck to fight when he's sure of losing. That's my way, sir; and there are many victories worse than a defeat."  
-- George Eliot  
  
Please enjoy the end to my story!  
  
Oh and a note, I know this story is rated what-pg? Pg13? I honestly don't remember, but we've all heard the word shit before right? And if you haven't, well sorry for warping your virgin mind there.  
  
Oh and I'm sorry for the length of this! I just wanted the ending to be all in once chapter and, once again, I underestimated how long I can ramble on for.  
~~  
  
  
  
::There are many people in this world, it was my error in believing them to all be the same::  
  
system uptated...filing... please wait...  
  
::I have the memories of one of them. A woman. She is sad and she is angry.::  
  
regeneration of right hand- complete. Stand by...  
  
::And I travel with another. A boy. He is an idealist. ::  
  
Firewall is 42% eradicated. System update estimated time- 18 hours...  
  
:: There are many people in this world. There are people who have friends and there are people who have family. ::  
  
Instructions- terminate all traitors to Team Rocket...  
  
:: These friends. These families. They know those people better than they know themselves. ::  
  
Instructions no longer authorized. Searching... searching...   
  
:: It is said that a human does not know himself. I do not know myself. Does that make me human?::  
  
Humanity Program has deleted instructions. stand by...  
  
:: There are many people in this world...::  
  
stand by...   
  
:: Is there a person that knows who I am? ::   
  
  
Please input new instructions now: _________   
  
**  
  
  
  
  
"We have to get those things turned off," Cassidy snapped at Mondo, who was doing everything he could to find some useful information off the network, but still no luck. "They don't have the firewall, as soon as they figure out that they can make their own decisions, will have a bunch of killing machines out for world domination!"  
  
"We'll they'll have to get in line," called someone from the ladder leading into the shelter. "The Boss and Vicious are already messing things up, we don't need a third party."  
  
"Butch!" Mondo cried. "We can't find any sort of weak point, and I've checked the schematics over and over again."  
  
Cassidy had remained silent as Butch walked over to look at the screen. He was covered with dirt, bits of both dry and fresh blood here and there, and his clothing contained rips in various places. But he was alive. She opened her mouth to relate her relief in his safety, but for some reason it came out as "Where the hell have you been?!"  
  
"I could ask the same of you!" he snapped back, but somewhere in his blandly expressive attitude, there was a bit of relief. He stared at her for a second, then turned back to Mondo. "The Boss knew how powerful the androids were built to be," he noted. "And after whatever that was got out of hand the last time-you know, that thing that blew up the old base-he'd be smart to install a safety this time around. He's not stupid."  
  
"A safety?" Cassidy repeated. "Like an off switch?"   
  
Mondo nodded. "Well if you can turn them on you can most certainly turn them off...but I'm not sure how." He pulled up the display schematics of two androids onto the screen. One was the prototype 01, and the other an updated model. "The prototype needed to interface with a computer to activate its subsystems, but you could bring it on line using a modulator and a few switches, it's not that complicated at all if you can get close to it."  
  
"And the updated model?" Cassidy asked, not liking where this conversation was headed. "I assume since it took a password to turn it on it'll take the same to turn it off..."  
  
Butch nodded, looking over the blueprints. "Trouble is, you have to be real close to them to make it work, and that requires staying alive long enough to say the password-or words most likely.  
  
"What about that disruptor we had?" Mondo inquired, trying to see the screen from over Butch's shoulder, but not succeeding.   
  
He quickly straightened up, banging Mondo's nose in the process. "You still have it?!" he and Cassidy exclaimed at once, daring to sound minorly hopeful.  
The boy nodded nervously.  
  
"All right," smirked Butch, "I've got an idea."  
  
  
  
  
"Dis window's been used before, da screen isn't in tight enough," Meowth pointed out, scratching a hole in it big enough for James to get through.   
  
He and the pokemon silently climbed to the floor of a small room; the door hung open almost half way, but all it revealed was an empty, dark hallway. "Hey Meowth," he whispered loudly to the cat, "We're you the one who told Vicious he didn't need any security system or was that his own brilliant idea?"  
  
"Actually dis place has a decent security system-not as good as da Boss's but it works all right," replied Meowth, starting off down the hall and leading the way with his excellent night-vision. "It mighta been betta if dey needed it, but part of da reason dat everyone stays away from here is cuz dey knows what kindsa humans work here." Then he added, "Only idiots like us would try to break in widdout backup."  
  
James nodded, half paying attention to the cat as he looked about his surroundings. The walls here were scorched and dirty with ash and soot, plus they contained dangerous looking cracks all over. This wall must have survived the explosion, and probably wasn't really used often-so he gathered from the lack of lighting. Finally Meowth lead him to a door he nearly smashed his nose into, but through the little window in it he could see a well-lit corridor on the other side.  
  
"Coast clear?" asked Meowth, who was too short to see through.   
  
"I think so," James replied, "But it's hard to see right and left too well. Come on anyway, let's risk it."  
  
It turned out the hall really was empty, but that good news gave way to a new problem-at least for James. The last time he'd been in this building, it had actually been an entirely different building and he now had no idea where to go.   
  
(Author's note: Okay people unless you haven't picked up on my references by NOW, I have been referring to the Boss's old Team Rocket base. This was shown in the episode where Jessie and James were thinking about quitting but just as they had said so the HQ building exploded. They looked up and saw Mewtwo flying away from the scene as it had just escaped Giovanni)  
  
"James you wanna head left," Meowth ordered, turning right.   
  
"You're leaving again?" James whined, a bit shocked. "How am I supposed to do this by myself?"  
  
Meowth scratched him. "Get it togedda, will yous! Meowth's gonna find Vicious and see if he can distract him from dis area of da base. Hopefully I can cut da security cameras too."  
  
"Cameras?" James repeated. "We'll that's just great."  
  
"Dere should be a laundry room around here somewhere, find a hat or sumthin," advised the feline. "Da cameras are only in da vital areas like da holding cells and junk-now go on, we gots ta hurry before the guards find yous."  
  
  
  
***  
Activating sequence file... index- accessed.  
  
:: It was William Shakespere who said this ::  
  
"Men at some time are masters of their fates"   
  
Firewall is 67% eradiated... accessing personality program...  
  
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars"  
  
:: I am not part of man. I was not even modeled after a male-these stars who control and not control are blind to me::  
  
Unable to access personality program.   
  
"But in ourselves, that we are underlings"  
  
:: Underling? Am I less because I am not human, or am I more--an underling, or something superior?::  
  
Reason-unknown  
  
:: If men are the masters of their fates, who owns the fate of one such as myself? One who was created to serve a master rather than be one-and if I abandon him, am I given to the stars?::   
  
***  
  
  
  
"This officially sucks!" snapped Morada, ducking quickly as another bar swung in her direction.   
  
"WHAT?" called Misty over the loud humming of the various machinery.   
  
"I SAID THIS SUCKS."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"NEVERMIND!"  
  
"WHAT!!??"  
  
"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!!!!" for some reason, which would have been obvious to James or meowth but shocked the girls, Jessie was easily able to make herself heard over the grinding and churning of gears and the hissing of the steam ports on the exhaust tank.   
  
At this time the three girls were crawling through the narrow vents and ports of the computer control systems that operated the obstacle course, and trying to climb through the engine without getting injured.  
  
The reason for the occurrence was this: upon entering the basement area where the obstacle course lay, the opening of the door automatically triggered the activation of the course. And so before them was a maze of spinning spikes, target robots with stun-guns, metallic plates that could crush a person and so on-but a person needed to pass all this to reach the other side of the room, if that person did not have the access codes to stop the raging training hall.   
  
It was Morada who had the bright idea to crawl through the control systems that went from one wall to the other in order to reach holding cells-an idea she now regretted as the engine appeared to be as much of an obstacle course as the genuine article.   
  
And so there they were-dodging spinning gears and trying not to disconnect any wires in fear of an explosion.  
  
Misty needed to crawl close to the doctor's ear to make herself heard. "Can't we turn this thing off from the inside?"   
  
"Probably," came the reply, "but it would take me longer to figure out how than it would to get through it." Misty groaned and turned to Jessie.  
  
"Do you know a way to get through the course? We could've done it that way..." she asked.   
  
Jessie nodded. "Sure, I did this thing when I was a little younger than you-but Team Rocket stopped using it because hardly anyone came out without injuries and you need healthy employees to run a business-also, injury pretty much took the excitement out of it all, kids were threatening to quit."  
  
Although Misty was shocked by this, she decided not to comment. The three crawled onward for a while, until finally she could see just the smallest patch of outer lighting from behind a maze of pipes. Crawling through the bars wouldn't be easy, but at least there was nothing sharp.  
  
Not hearing the warnings from her companions, she put a hand on the pipe, then immediately screamed and removed it. "It's hot!" she yelled.  
  
Morada said something, and had Misty known the skill of lip-reading she'd have interpreted, "No shit, Sherlock."  
  
"We can't make it through this," yelled Jessie, removing the cover of a nearby vent. "But we're almost at the end, we'll go through the course for the rest of the way."  
  
Grumbling in submissive agreement, Morada and Misty crawled over and looked through the small window at what was left for them to face. But for all their efforts nothing much could be seen. The obstacle course is set up as a labyrinth, and their vent-window was situated at one of the dead ends, so all the girls could really see was a short passage way that turned off into a corner and anything beyond was obscured.   
  
"I don't remember much what this thing looks like," said Jessie as she stepped out into the area, the other girls trailing cautiously behind. "So I guess we'll be surprised."  
  
They walked to the corner and as they made the left-hand turn, the three froze in shock. "I-is this what you meant by surprise?" asked Morada in a classic example of one of Team Rocket's not-the-right-time-for-this jokes.   
  
It probably wasn't what she meant, but a large, electric explosion heading right for them most certainly was a surprise.  
  
  
**  
  
Accessing... files updated... imputing...  
  
:: I am immortal ::  
  
Recharge complete. Firewall 88% eradicated.   
  
:: Men have sold their souls to be like me ::  
  
Accessing personality program...  
  
:: It was Logan Pearsall Smith who said this::  
  
"I am not altogether happy about the future of the Human Race"  
  
Unable to access personality program.  
  
"when I think of the slow refrigeration of the Earth, the Sun's waning, and ultimate, inevitable collapse of the solar system, I have grave misgivings."  
  
Reason- unknown.  
  
:: Humans are happy to live, knowing they will die-that is what they call life::  
  
Diagnostic in progress... no errors found.  
  
:: I will not die ::  
  
Accessing personality program...  
  
:: Does that mean I never lived?::  
  
unable to access personality program.  
  
:: If I never lived... ::  
  
reason...  
  
:: Does that mean I am already dead? ::  
  
unknown.  
  
**  
  
"Well it was nice of that strange boy to show us how to get here," Tracey pointed out. "he couldn't cook too well but it was nice to have a meal."  
  
(AN: HAHAHAHAHA!!!! I bet you all thought I forgot about these guys, huh?)  
  
Brock nodded. "I didn't know that Ash knew any samurai-or at least any samurai wannabes." (think back to waaaaaaaay in the beginning of the series folks)  
  
"I still can't believe he tried to battle a metapod, with another metapod." Tracey laughed for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "I'd have liked to sketch that."  
  
"Um yeah," Brock replied with a sweat drop, deciding not to say anything about how boring dueling metapods would be. "Anyway, I'm not sure if this is the place or not..." he said, looking up at the large building in front of them. "Didn't Nurse Joy say the building exploded or something?"  
  
"Well it wouldn't be much of a gang base if they didn't do some remodeling," Tracey noted, taking a few sketches before finally putting the book away. "Come on, let's distract the guards so we can get in, the back door should be this way..." They went off, completely ignoring the sheer plot convenience of the window the former parties had used, and made their way two an entrance guarded by three men playing cards in front of the door.  
  
"Maybe we should get Onix to scare them off," Tracey suggested.   
  
"No, we can't do that," Brock warned. "Rock pokemon are common around Pewter City, which is just outside the forest, but they never ever go into the woods, it would look too suspicious."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," the other consented. "All I've seen around here are bug types." Brock lifted his head, and his eyes would have brightened if they could.   
  
"That's it!" he cried.  
  
~  
  
"Twenty-one," called John, looking quite please with himself and his cards. "Pay up."   
Derrek, the dealer of the game, wasn't so happy and neither was Cory, the man who'd betted on him. "Double or nothing?"  
  
"No way."  
  
Grumbling and cursing, Derrek took out his wallet, but before he even opened it up, Cory stood and just started staring at the bushes that surrounded them like some idiot on a mission.   
  
"What ARE you doing?" asked John impatiently.   
  
"There's something over there..." Cory replied, pointing to a place just behind the trees.   
  
"What?" Derrek was startled. "You mean we actually have an intruder or something?"  
  
Cory shrugged. "It's probably just a pokemon..." and right on queue, scyther jumped out of the tree and in front of the two.  
  
"Scyther-scy!" it cried, clanging its blades together, then turned around and flew off into the foliage.   
  
"I don't believe it, a wild scyther!" Derrek cried, chasing after the pokemon. Cory followed suit. For a moment John considered staying at his post like a good little agent, but then he considered that if HE caught the scyther for Vicious, he'd probably get a better assignment then back door guard.   
  
"Hey wait up!" he called, and ran off after them.   
  
As soon as the agents were safely out of sight. Brock and Tracey headed for the door.   
  
"I know scyther can take care of itself, but we might need it for a battle later on..." Tracey pointed out.   
  
"But it was the least suspicious pokemon," Brock reminded him, holding the door open for the boy, "you heard them, they thought it was wild."   
  
"I could have used Venomoth," the other pointed out.   
  
"Venomoths aren't scary or rare," came the rebuttal.   
  
"Oh okay," Tracey acknowledged, "It'll be safe at that samurai's house anyway, let's check this place out."  
  
  
  
Someone lifted the trap door and called inside, "Is anyone down there?"   
  
"Lyn!" Cassidy answered. "Get down here before someone shoots you!" about midway through that sentence however, Lyn ran in screaming and started to clutch Mondo for dear life.   
  
"They're dead!" she wailed. "Three of them are dead-they'll find all of us, they won't stop until... they never stop! They're dead!" she kept on like that until Cassidy slapped her. She couldn't figure it out, Lyn had seen plenty of people die before and kept her head. What was the problem this time?  
  
"Who's dead?" she asked.   
  
"I-don't-knoooow," she replied, voice muffled by Mondo's shoulder. The poor boy was half trying to comfort her, and half trying to breathe under her grip. "But you should have seen it!" she suddenly added, standing upright and dropping Mondo in the process. She wasn't crying any more, but her voice erupted in wild-sounding tremors.   
"That plasma cannon, it's just disgusting," low, high, her voice stayed even at some unknown level, and frightening enough to cause silence in the room. "It starts out as just another man down-sure it glows purple, but it's still just another body." Mondo started to squirm then, but Cassidy and Butch waited for her to continue. "But then it starts to erode everything, melting it, disintegrating it-whatever's done there aren't even ashes left. Just a spot of dead grass where all the life got sucked out of it."  
  
A fearful, but somewhat respectful silence followed. Within the quiet, Butch was the first to notice that the shooting outside had stopped-or at least he couldn't hear gunfire anymore. "Did they quit?" he asked Lyn.  
  
She shook her head. "No," she said quietly. She paused, then added, "They're taking prisoners now."  
  
  
  
  
"Jenny, are you there?" asked Jenny.  
  
"I'm here," replied Jenny, "What's going on, Jenny?"  
  
Poor Mrs. Ketchum, she was very confused right now. Professor Oak merely sat, trying to figure out how the Jennys didn't get confused themselves.   
  
"There seems to be some sort of congregation of suspicious looking people marching out of Mahogany right now," reported Jenny, "They're headed in your direction, Jenny."  
  
"Don't worry, Jenny," Jenny assured her, "I'll keep an eye out for them. How are they suspicious?"  
  
"Well for one thing at the rate they're walking," explained Jenny, "They'll reach Viridian in only a few hours-just on foot!"   
  
Jenny gasped.  
  
"And another thing," continued Jenny, "A few of them, I'm almost positive-I even checked with Jenny on this-are in our records as members of Team Rocket!"  
  
"Did you arrest them, Jenny?" asked Jenny in surprise.   
  
"No, there was just too many for my force to take on," Jenny explained. "But don't worry, Jenny's following them to see what they're up to."  
  
Jenny saluted Jenny. "Good work, Jenny," said Jenny. "I'll call up Jenny and Jenny for backup and we'll get to the bottom of this."  
  
Jenny saluted in return. "All right, goodbye Jenny."  
  
Mrs. Ketchum started searching her purse for aspirin. "I'm sure it's here somewhere..."   
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Ketchum?" asked a familiar voice.  
  
"Give me just a moment Misty-I could have sworn I put it in he..." finally catching on, she bolted out of her chair. "MISTY!?"  
Professor Oak, Jenny, and nearly every other officer in the station looked over at them.   
  
It was a surprise to be sure, but there was Misty, standing in front of them, and looking as normal as if she didn't know the meaning of adventure.   
  
"Oh Misty thank goodness you're all right!" cried Mrs. Ketchum, hugging the girl. "What happened, Brock said there was an emergency of some sort and you went missing!"  
  
"Yes yes," Oak, nodded, "I hope you can finally clear up all the trouble that's been going on."  
  
"Trouble?" asked Misty, looking a bit confused. "I never called Brock, it must have been some sort of prank call."  
  
"Well that's certainly rude!" snapped Mrs. Ketchum. "That's a horrible joke to play on a person, it had me worried sick!" She then looked around her. "Well if it was all a joke, does that mean Ash is here?"  
  
Misty shook her head. "No, no, we got in this big argument and I stormed off. When I got back to the pokemon centere, Ash was gone and all of a sudden I'm on the missing persons list!" she sounded a bit indignant. "Anyway, that's why I'm here-to get my name taken off of that thing. I'm obviously not missing."  
  
"Obviously," repeated the Professor, although there was a sort of tone in his voice.   
  
"Does that mean that this was a joke too?" Mrs. Ketchum asked suddenly, retrieving Jessie's warning letter from her purse, but still no aspirin.   
  
Misty took the note and read it. "Must be, but I don't know anything about it," she said, and returned the paper.   
  
Then she walked over to Jenny and showed the officer her ID card. When Jenny seemed satisfied that she was Misty and in complete control of her own location, she scratched the girl's name off the very long list.   
  
"Well I have to go find Ash and straighten this out," Misty said, heading for the door. "It was very nice to see you again Mrs. Ketchum, and you too Professor." The former of the two smiled and wished her well, told her to give Ash a message et cetera. The latter merely nodded.  
  
"Be careful, Misty," Officer Jenny warned from her desk. "There's a crowd of suspicious people headed into this area."  
  
Misty stopped short, and her eyes narrowed into an expression that seemed very unlike her. "Oh really?" she asked slowly, "Who?"  
  
Jenny pulled out a surveillance video for the area of Indigo Plateau, where the crowd of androids was making its march toward Viridian.   
  
"Oh, them," said Misty, seeming to be in an effort to sound nonchalant. "That's just one of those walk-for-a-cause things. I ran into them earlier."  
  
"Oh really?" Jenny asked with a smile, being the upstanding citizen that loved to hear about community involvement and things like that. "What's the cause?"  
  
"Er...gay pride?" tried Misty, but Jenny accepted the answer without question. "Oh! Officer Jenny, do you mind if I use this camera thing to look at Celadon City? I've been feeling kind of homesick..."  
  
Jenny said that would be all right and told he to press a certain button, and turned back to her conversation with Ash's mother. She didn't notice the small sparks as the child's hand touched the keyboard.  
  
Misty said goodbye, and almost got away but not before Mrs. Ketchum pointed something out. "Oh Misty!" she cried, "Are you bleeding?"  
  
The girl looked down, and sure enough, a little blood stained her arm. "Oh that? It's nothing," she tried to ease the woman. "I just got shot."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"SHOCKED!" corrected Misty in haste. "Pikachu shocked me when I stepped on its tail... well I really have to leave-nice seeing you again, g'bye!" she waved shortly and hurried out the door.  
  
Mrs. Ketchum heaved a sigh of relief. "Well it's sure nice to know everything's all right," she said with a smile. She received no response, however, for Professor Oak was still trying to figure out the girl's strange and obviously altered personality. Officer Jenny didn't hear either, for her hands were full with trying to repair the sudden crashing of the surveillance systems.   
  
  
  
**  
  
Scan of subsystems complete. Scan of first section controls complete. No errors found.   
  
:: I am nothing. I have no life to rule me. I am animate, yet still an object::  
  
  
firewall 95% eradicated. Accessing personality program...  
  
:: For what it's worth, I am worth nothing. Nothing will be lost by losing me.::  
  
unable to access personality program...  
  
"Why?"  
  
reason- unknown.  
  
"Why can't I live?"  
  
:: Because- I am I. ::  
  
  
**  
  
  
"Get down!" shouted Jessie as soon as she saw the fireball coming at them. Morada did as told but Misty ran for the crawlspace they'd just exited.   
  
"Stop!" hissed the doctor, grabbing the younger girl's ankle. Misty fell to the ground with a harsh-sounding crash, but didn't have time to scream at Morada as the explosion wave reached them.   
  
The circuitry above them blew out, sending sparks all over that were visible even through the thick smoke. The girls tried to stay as low to the ground as they could, as one by one the panels above them lit and fell, in a straight line headed towards the wall that hid the engine.   
  
"Get up and run!" Morada screamed, rushing into the blaze with the others close behind. Of course walking through fire is dangerous, but not as dangerous as being around an engine as it blows.   
  
Jessie was starting to gain on the younger rocket, but being the tallest running was awkward while bending over to avoid the poisonous smoke. However, none of the three could see their destination, and as Morada tripped over something, Jessie tripped over her and then Misty fell and added to the growlithe pile.   
  
They were all lucky however. The line of blowing fuses hit the piping before it even got to the engine. The pipes burst, sending dozens of rushing streams of hot water all around. Although it was hot, it still put out most of the fire leaving the sprinkler systems to do the rest.   
  
And so the girls sat, slightly burned but not as bad as they would have been. They were soaked, and trapped within a wall of steam and a little smoke, but otherwise very alive (and very annoyed).   
  
"What the hell was THAT!?" screamed Jessie. "Get off," she added, shoving Misty off of her and standing up to look around. Despite everything, the walls appeared to be standing but considerably charred. Some of the panels still glowed with a surviving current, but mostly everything Jessie could see through the indoor mist was destroyed.   
  
"I wonder what happened..." Misty said. "I can't even tell which way to go anymore."  
  
There was a groan from the floor, but it hadn't been the doctor's voice.  
  
"I think I tripped over someone..." that had been Morada.   
  
"Owwww..." the voice said, and Jessie saw its owner's silhouette in the foggy room. "What happened?" wait a second, that voice was...  
  
"ASH!?" screamed Misty, leaning down to see better although the steam was already dissipating.   
  
"Heeey lil Twerp!" greeted Morada, slapping the boy on the back a little too hard. "So you broke out, eh? We'll have to punish you for that, since we went through hell to rescue you."  
  
Ash nervously backed away from the doctor and stood up, finally noticing Misty.  
  
Jessie and Morada watched the two, and for a moment it looked as if things were gonna be romantic as flying bunnies until the both of them screamed, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE!!"  
  
"What do you mean where have I been?" snapped Misty. "YOU were the one who let me get kidnapped!"  
  
"Is this the thanks I get for working so hard to rescue you?"  
  
"WE were here to rescue YOU!" It went on like that for a little while, the two nose to nose, exchanging glares.  
  
"Funny," Morada noted. "I thought they liked each other."  
  
"They do," replied Jessie, resting her chin in her hand. There was no interrupting them now.   
  
"Like-like?"  
  
"Who says that anymore?"  
  
They were waiting a while, for Ash and Misty had days worth of arguments to catch up on and both were irritable from lack of sleep, but somehow they calmed down enough to be momentarily reasonable.   
  
"Well it looks like I beat James," Ash said to Jessie. "I found you before he did." Her eye twitched a little, but she didn't say anything back.  
  
"What happened to you anyway?" snapped Morada. "I assume you and Galatea never got back to the hotel room, but how'd you get here and where IS the android?"  
  
Ash shrugged. "Some crazy guy named Collin captured us."  
  
"Collin?" Jessie repeated as she remembered something about Doris's partner. Hadn't he gone mad? "Galatea didn't kill him, did she?"  
  
"No, I stopped her."  
  
She sighed in relief. Doris would be an absolute mess if Collin was dead. "So where is my lesser half? I haven't seen that thing since it was floating in that tank to be transported."  
  
Morada and Misty looked surprised. "You've seen it?"  
  
"Sure I have," Jessie replied. It was obvious, right? "I was in the lab while they were building it."  
  
"Why were you in the la-" Ash tried to ask, but Misty hit the back of his head.   
  
"Just tell us what happened to Gala-whosits," she ordered, then leaned down to Ash's ear and added, "don't ask questions like that."  
  
Ash nodded a little and put his hand on back of his head. "Um...well...anyway we got captured and she did this really freaky impersonation of, well, you," he said to Jessie. "Everybody thought she was the real you and so they're out looking for the android I guess."  
  
"But where is she NOW?" Morada growled, getting impatient for what little attention span she had was almost done with.  
  
"Well we sat in the cell for hours and they took my pokemon-except for totodile because he was in my pocket not on my belt," Ash went on, quicker this time. "And finally Galatea was ready to escape so she bent the bars and destroyed the security camera and we went into the obstacle course, but we got separated and I got lost."  
  
"Not surprising," Misty grumbled.   
  
"ANYWAY," Ash yelled in her year as he continued. "I ran into a dead end and while I was trying to get out of it these things popped out of the walls and started shooting fire at me." Jessie nodded, remembering something like that in the course. "So I took out totodile and-"  
  
"And let me guess," Morada interrupted, stepping forward and sounding extremely irritated. "You told it to use a WATER attack while you were surrounded by ELECTRICAL machinery, right?"  
  
He put his hand behind his head again, quite embarrassed. "P-pretty much..." he stuttered as the doctor leaned over him menacingly.   
  
Jessie and Misty joined Morada. "You mean HE caused that explosion?"  
  
"Looks like it..."  
  
Poor poor Ash, he had to run for his life.   
  
  
  
  
Terrence leaned back in his chair, feet on the desk and a pencil balancing on his nose. The only lighting in the room came from the many tiny black-and-white screens that covered the wall, recording the goings on of the base.   
  
"Thirty eight," he counted to himself, "thirty nine..." But the pencil fell to the ground as the floor shook for an instant.   
  
"What's going on?" shouted the angry voice of Vicious from the intercom on the wall. "Was that an earthquake or did something happen?"  
  
"I'm checking it now, sir," Terrence called back, sitting up straight and scanning the little screens with nervously jerking eyes. Finally he saw it, a fire, quickly extinguishing under many jets of water. Steam and smoke blocked most of the camera's range, but that screen was from the basement area. Quickly, he turned to the dungeon's camera, only to see static on the monitor. "I think some prisoners escaped sir!" he yelled at the intercom.   
  
Luckily, because the surveillance officer was so distracted by the basement fire, he didn't notice James on one of the other hallway monitors, but he wouldn't see James on that camera anymore for the man had just dismantled it.  
  
  
  
Some of the doors were locked. Not locked well, but there were just too many to pick them all. Besides, the stairwell James was looking for shouldn't be locked in the first place-at least in theory-so that narrowed his search just a little.   
  
But still, hallway after hallway, door after door, and camera after camera-this was actually starting to get boring. That, however, didn't make James any happier when the ground shook underneath him, causing him to fall.   
  
"Shit," he hissed, getting up a little slower than if he'd been doing this sort of crime thing back in the old days. It sure made him feel old-this had to be it, right? The last adventure before he got to relax? But then again, his life had never been short of activity-he liked it that way actually-but right now James really needed a vacation, or at least a nap since he hadn't slept in a long time.   
  
"That came from underneath so..." James said to himself, frowning as the lights flickered for a moment. "I'm obviously not on the ground level-so where's the stairs?"   
  
Actually James found a staircase only a few minutes after Meowth had left. Unfortunately, those were the stairs for the renovated section. When Vicious rebuilt the base, instead of repairing the old stairwell to the basement, he'd built a completely new staircase that went through the new buildings. The new one, however, did not connect to the old stairwell's routes, leaving the old way the only way to get in. But with the building so different than the place he'd barely known before, James didn't have any idea where to look-the door could be behind a plaster wall for all he knew!   
  
Perhaps he should turn back. Galatea was a murder weapon wasn't she? Nobody could stop her if they tried, so there was no need for him to come for her, and if that twerp was smart he'd stay with the android... Meowth said Jessie was coming to Viridian-maybe she was already here-but if she hadn't come yet, shouldn't he just go back outside and wait? Well, if he wanted to be lazy about it...  
He could just hear her voice ringing in his ears-"I'm running all over the place trying to save people I can't stand, and all you do is sit there?" Fine fine Jessie, you win. You're right.   
Oh well, that was what he missed, wasn't it?  
  
James turned a corner only to find another hallway, lined with more doors that could lead anywhere. Growling a little, he headed for the double-doors on the very end, since it seemed logical that the stairs wouldn't be placed just randomly on the right or left. Above him, the lights flickered once more but this time they didn't stop. Perhaps that ground movement had damaged the generator, or cut a few cables, or something like that for the light grew dimmer with each waver until they finally died before he'd made it to the end of the hall.  
  
"Dark stairwell-loads of fun," he muttered sarcastically, assuming he'd actually find the thing. However out of either coincidence, plot convenience, or the fact that I just can't keep James wondering around forever, the double doors actually did lead to the basement stairs ( AN: hehehe ^_~ )  
  
It took a minute to get the door open, since when the place exploded some of the metal fused together which included the locks. However, it was old and unsturdy. Even a person with James's minimal strength could kick it down.   
  
Surprisingly, there was light on the stairs. Apparently the old power systems were separate from the new one, and the stairwell was illuminated by the yellow glow of a cheap bulb. The lit circle didn't extend very far however, and James only found himself looking at steps which went down into shadows. Somewhere down the line another patch of light would come at the next socket, at least James assumed.   
  
James stepped forward, knowing this was the only way to the basement and to Galatea, and also knowing he couldn't last too long in a fight against two gang corporations without her firepower. Still, that didn't make it any less creepy. He put a hand on the railing so as not to fall, for who knew what condition the stairs were in-of course, who knew what condition the railing was in either.   
  
"I knew you'd come..." came a voice from above him. "Never mind that last one-too cliché...but it's true, at least...I did know you'd come here."   
  
It was Collin. James knew it before even looking up, and when he'd heard the familiar voice he'd even rolled his eyes for this man's entrances were starting to become predictable. Nevertheless, you should never turn your back on a crazy man so James turned his head in the direction of the voice.  
  
The stairs had, at one time, gone to both the basement and the upper levels but now with the renovations what was left of the old staircase ended in a mess of broken, fused and melted metal reaching out almost to the ceiling. Sitting on the old framing, legs dangling and back hunched over was Collin. He didn't look at James, but stared vacantly at the door, although not as if he expected someone else to come in.   
  
"Your fault..." he said, and James noticed the man was slowly spinning a gun in his hand. With each rotation the barrel would, for a moment point to Collin's own chest, before dropping down in James's direction and resuming its turns. "They're coming for her..."  
  
"Who's coming?" James asked carefully, trying not to do anything that would make the other snap out of his daze and become violent. "And for who? Jessie? Galatea? Doris?"  
  
"Doris..." James couldn't tell if Collin was answering the question or just echoing. "Do you take responsibility for it? She was your partner..."  
  
Collin had really lost it. "Doris was ~your~ partner-remember?" James tried.   
  
From behind the long, blonde bangs Collins blue eyes narrowed and turned to James, although his face still faced the same direction. "I know." He said. "Jessie was yours. She killed Doris. She was your partner-everyone is dead because of Jessie...your partner..." He rose to his feet slowly, now facing him with those cast down and cloudy eyes. Finger on the trigger, he pointed the gun at James. "Your partner-your responsibility-YOUR FAULT!"   
  
  
  
"Prisoners?" Cassidy repeated. And Lyn gave a pathetic nod.   
  
"I saw them take Raquel and Elsie-Deija tricked me, said he'd be running right behind me but he stayed back to hold the androids off," the power in her voice was starting to die and she collapsed into a chair. "I don't know where he is..."  
  
Butch frowned, this really didn't add up. Why take prisioners when it'd be so much easier for those robotic things to kill everyone? Not that he wanted to be killed of course... "Well there goes plan A."  
  
Lyn opened one eye and focused it on him. "Which was?"  
  
"We assembled a kind of bomb..." Cassidy started, motioning to the weird looking device on the table. It wasn't a bomb really, just a metallic box of gunpowder with a fuse that would blow on remote command and ignite the powder. "We were going to try and get the androids into one area, paralyze them with the disruptor, and then when we got back underground safely Mondo'd use the computer to set off the explosion."   
  
"Oh..." Lyn said, and closed the eye. "That's kind of stupid-not enough powder to destroy them... you'd need a real bomb-a big bomb."  
  
Mondo got Lyn a cup of coffee which she held but didn't drink. "Maybe if we add oil it'll be enough to at least do some damage..." he said. "I still don't see why it wouldn't work anymore."  
  
Cassidy flicked him in the back of the head. "The four of us can't heard the androids by ourselves-we'd need more people and the people are now captured."  
  
The boy shrugged. "So we have to rescue them," he said as if it were simple. "Where were they taken? To the Rocket base?" he asked, referring to Giovanni's stronghold just a mile from the resistance center.  
  
Lyn shook her head and began to talk very slowly and softly. "No... I don't understand all of it but..."  
  
Butch was still scowling. "But what? Things don't add up here, you need to give us all the information!"  
  
She sat up straight, hair falling into her face, and directed everything at him in a louder, angry voice. "The bomb shelters!" she said forcefully. "This base-" she motioned to the walls of the room with a sweep of her hand. "This base was once a bomb shelter right?"  
  
"Once." Butch acknowledged.   
  
"Wrong!" she snapped back. "Doesn't it seem a little clean? A little new?"  
  
Cassidy looked around. The walls were dirty, but not so much it would take intense scrubbing to clean them. And also the room had a strong feel to it-not like the flimsy boxes built by the paranoid people decades ago, but this room seemed like it could actually withstand a catastrophe that happened above the ground.   
  
"This place," Lyn went on, "Is about five years old-built at the beginning of the android project." There was a pause as everyone stared at her, trying to piece together the message. "There are more... the forest ground is littered with them-I heard the hallow echoes when I ran over them during the fight, and I saw the androids open more doors in the ground and shove our people inside!" She was screaming at them now, almost deranged from her trauma but obviously in control of her mental state at least to a point.  
  
Butch still couldn't make sense of it all. "The rocket base has a bigger prison where it's easier to watch everyone. Why didn't the androids take the people there instead of shutting them underground?" He thought for a moment before turning to Mondo and ordering the boy to hack into the Rocket base's system. "What's going on over there?" he asked once the boy had logged on.  
  
"Nothing," came the reply, sounding surprised.   
  
Cassidy furrowed her eyebrows and walked over to stand behind him at the desk, staring at the computer screen. "What do you mean nothing?" she asked. "They have to have heard the fighting, they must know the androids are awake..."  
  
Mondo nodded. "They do know that," he said. "In fact, the fifteen androids still in stasis at the base were activated and are recorded to be on course to Viridian."  
  
"That doesn't sound like 'nothing' at all!" Butch snapped angrily, climbing up the ladder towards the trap door that would let him outside.   
  
"Well..." Mondo said, hands moving on the keyboard quickly, then stopping altogether. "When I said nothing, I meat nothing. There's nobody there. The base has been evacuated."  
  
Lyn, chin in her hands, looked over at the desk. "Why would they do that?"  
  
"The log says that the Rocket personnel moved to some bomb shelters under the building..." Mondo went on. "Everyone's hiding underground."  
  
"Everyone but the androids," Cassidy pointed out. "Something's about to happen-some kind of damage that androids can take but people can't."  
  
"But I thought the Boss wanted the resistance dead," said Lyn, "So why didn't the androids just leave us out there to die?"  
  
Cassidy shrugged. "I don't know."   
  
Mondo spun in the chair to face the girls. "So now the question is-do we go outside and rescue the others, or do we run and get help?"  
  
"The answer is neither," Butch growled, coming back down the ladder and looking discontent. "The door won't open, we're trapped in here."  
  
  
  
"Transmission coming in, sir!" Domino notified the Giovanni, handing him a cell phone since the video display was in the process of being repaired.   
  
"Sir," came a voice he knew but couldn't place a name to. It was one of the head workers at the Mahogany base. "I didn't realize the plan had come into motion so soon-especially since we don't have the prototype-but I wanted to report that everything is ready."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Giocanni snapped back at the man. "I never gave authorization to begin-what is going on down there?"  
  
"S-sir..." the voice now sounded afraid. "We heard fighting-it was the resistance movement, those partners of the ones we'd made copies of. They had five activated androids and were fighting with them."  
  
"THEY WHAT?"  
  
"But the androids were killing them off-and we knew your plan wouldn't work if they all died so we transmitted the orders early..." there was a pause, "We're all very sorry sir, we assumed that you had activated the androids from your helicopter and were ready to begin."  
  
The boss tried to calm himself down and think reasonably. Even if what, twenty? Twenty androids were activated without the firewall they would still follow his orders at first. It would require a few days of continuous activation for them to start to develop opinions of their own so as long as everything went as planned he could still shut them off in time-after they'd done their job.  
  
"Am I to assume that everyone is in the shelters?" Giovanni finally said.   
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
"How long will if be before they reach Viridian City?"  
  
"About half an hour more, Sir."  
  
He scowled and motioned for Domino to come forward. "They're on the move," he told her. She was shocked but well composed. "As soon as you pick them up on the scanners let me know-they're orders need to be changed before they destroy all the plans I've made over the last five years."  
  
  
  
James held his hands up defensively. "Hold on a minute..." he said slowly, trying to remain calm although fear showed a little in his voice. "What happened that's my fault-who did Jessie kill?" he asked, although it didn't look like Collin would answer. "When I find her we can get this all cleared up-don't you want that?" he tried.  
  
"All of them," Collin hissed. "First they took Jessie-the experiments...the Boss...it all worked out for him since she knew too much, knew his name and everything...grew up with them all...Madame Boss and them all..."  
  
James couldn't make sense of what he was saying, but at least Collin seemed partially distracted-if only the guy would take his eyes off him for moment he might escape.  
  
"The experiments worked," Collin sounded disgusted. "Patient 00. SHE was patient 00 and your android was 01!"  
  
"N-now how is that her fault?"   
  
"Her fault, your fault-both of you!" His hands were shaking, but not so much to make the gun miss if he fired. "The experiments worked-they built the prototype and then took more people. If the experiments hadn't worked, if you hadn't let her go-if you loved her you wouldn't have let her leave like you thought she did! It's her fault my partner died-that makes it your fault!"  
  
James narrowed his eyes, suddenly understanding. It was this man's partner, what's-her-name, that he wanted to avenge. Perhaps if James had not somewhat gotten on with his life and left the gang lifestyle, he'd have remained in an unhealthy obsession and lost his mind as well.   
  
"You should have gone after her-she was YOUR partner! YOUR responsibility!" Collin was screaming at him now, his voice echoing all over the stairwell. "If you'd chased her you'd have discovered the android project when it started-it wouldn't have been five years too late! Too late too late too late... It's too late to save her now... dead, all of them. Dead dead dead..." There wasn't anything left of his mind that James could reason with. "Dead," Collin repeated again, "You'll be too..."  
  
He pulled the trigger.  
  
James shut his eyes tight as he heard the gun boom. A girlish scream that actually wasn't James's filled the area as something that wasn't a bullet slammed into his chest.   
  
It was a maroon haired woman with a bloody shoulder. She clung to his shirt to keep balance, but he had to grab her before she fell completely. "Collin you idiot..." she bit out, talking through her teeth as she winced from the pain. "Can't even tell who the enemy is..." The voice was faintly familiar, he knew this person from a very long time ago.  
  
"Doris..." Collin didn't sound like he believed it. James couldn't help but think the man knew he was crazy-he probably thought that his girlfriend was some sort of ghost or hallucination.   
  
"Hey, are you all right?" James asked her, trying to hold her up and look at her shoulder at the same time. She wasn't paying any attention though, and didn't answer.  
  
"Collin drop the gun," she ordered in a soft but raspy voice. His hands had gone limp, the gun facing the ground. It didn't seem like he would shoot, but he didn't move to obey either. "Drop it," she said with more force. The weapon hid the ground with a clatter just as his knees collapsed and he fell beside it.   
  
James felt her let go of him, and she shakily made her way over to the other man, who was clutching his head and repeating her name, unable to make sense of everything.   
  
She nearly fell on top of Collin, catching him around the neck with her good arm, but bleeding badly from the other. "Idiot," she said again, hugging him tightly. His eyes were wide and he shook as if he were afraid of her.  
  
"Warm..." he said, still in shock and voice hoarse. "Brea...thing..."  
  
James stood against the wall, feeling embarrassed like he'd intruded on something personal. But it still didn't seem the best thing to leave them here alone-injured and insane.   
  
"Ow!" Doris suddenly cried out. "Let go!"   
  
Colin had grabbed her arm tightly, just below her wound. Blood dripped onto his shaking hand as Doris clenched her teeth in pain. "She came..." he said, glaring fiercely at James and trying to reach his gun. "Came from heaven..." he was so absorbed he didn't notice the hue of the room's light slowly turning to purple. "Came for ME..."   
Even Doris didn't seem to notice the pain anymore. She stared past Collin and James, with a terrified expression. "AND LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO TO HER!" the tips of his fingers touched the handle but Doris shoved him to the ground.  
  
"Get down!" she screamed, as a long cord of magenta light swept across where they'd been.   
  
James spun around. Standing on the steps that led up from the basement was Galatea. The holographs that hid the interfaces were gone, bringing the metal strips that covered her skin into view, and looking less humanlike than he remembered. Her eyes were locked onto Collin, right arm outstretched and the plasma rife extending from it shone purple as it recharged for another shot.   
"You should stand back," she said to James.  
  
James was shocked. "I sh...-what are y...-PUT THAT THING AWAY!" he finally got out. "If that gets out of control you could bring down the ceiling!"  
  
"Very well," she said in that same soft, near-monotone voice he knew too well. The rifle retracted itself into her arm, but the port didn't close. "It will have to be done manually." From where the gun had been came a long knife, not so much a blade, however, than a flat but sharp sheet of metal.   
  
"No!" James snapped back, grabbing her arm and trying to pull it back. He couldn't move it of course; it might be easier to tow a brick wall than force the android's skeleton to bend involuntarily. "Cut that out, don't hurt him and just calm down already!"  
  
She turned her had to face him. "I am calm. You are not."  
  
"Of course I'm not!" he snapped back. "You almost killed them!"  
  
"I was aiming for the man Collin-he shot that woman and wishes to kill you. He is unstable and a threat," she said, but it was more like an explanation than an excuse.   
  
James sighed and shook his head. How was he supposed to explain everything to her, and what could he say when she was only trying to protect him? Attempting to kill Collin was Galatea's version of being nice, and it didn't seem like she deserved a punishment. "Just get the gun away from him-give it to me," he said. "I can protect myself from there, you don't need to kill him."   
  
James had expected Galatea to react right away, but she paused for a moment. "The young man Ash Ketchum has told me I should utilize my better judgment," she said. He was pretty sure she was paraphrasing however, for James doubted that the twerp knew what 'utilize' meant. But vocabulary aside, did that mean she wasn't going to listen to him? "However," she continued, "The method of which you treat your own enemies is your own choice." The sword retracted, but only after she'd picked up the gun and handed it to James did Doris breathe a sigh of relief.  
  
"Now," James said, attaching the weapon to his belt next to Wheezing's pokeball. "Where's the Twerp, wasn't he with you?"   
  
Galatea paused for a moment as she translated Twerp into Ash. "We escaped from the confined area but got separated. Soon after there was a small explosion that cut me off from the area I lost him in with a wall of debris, which I could not move without causing it to collapse. I came upstairs to find a schematic of the building in order to locate an alternate entrance."   
  
James nodded, remembering how the ground had shaken a little while ago. "He alive?"  
  
"Unknown. A high concentration of electrical activity interfered with my scans."  
  
Great. How was he supposed to find Meowth, dig up Ash, and get everyone out of the building before Doris bled to death? He tried to think about one thing at a time... James knew he probably couldn't last wondering around an agent-infested area until he found the cat, but he could probably get the twerp out of the basement.   
"Ok here's the plan," he said, hoping it would sound all right for he wasn't the best plan maker in the world. "Galatea, I need you to go upstairs and find a talking meowth-you remember him-and bring him to the blue convertible parked in the bushes outside."   
  
"Shouldn't I stay with you?" she asked. "You require protection from that man," she motioned to Collin, "And the others like him that are here."  
  
"Look," he snapped back. "I told you I could handle it. That woman over there needs the first aid kit that's back in the car, but I can't very well leave her alone with a man who-as you pointed out-is off his rocker so you just meet us back there, ok?"  
  
She remained silent as the data processed. "Very well," she finally said. "And Ash Ketchum?"   
  
"Well come back for him ,but for the moment I'd like to assume the idiot's not bleeding to death so he's not quite priority number one here."  
  
"Very well," said Galatea once more, and then she was gone.  
  
James shook his head and turned back to Doris and Collin. "Will he move?" he asked the woman, taking a step closer. "Or can you at least risk letting go of him?"  
  
"I, ah..." Doris started, looking down at Collin. He had a good hold on her back, half trying to protect her from James and half acting like any moment she'd take his life. "I don't know."  
  
James frowned a little until he figured out what to do. "I don't think he'll let me come closer, but come over here."  
  
"What?" she asked, trying to untangle herself from Colin's grasp.   
  
"Just start walking towards the door, I don't think he'll want to leave us two alone."  
  
Dizzy from loss of blood, Doris stumbled over until she came close enough for James to catch. He put her good arm over his shoulder and helped her walk as they headed through the exit and back out into the dark hall. Doris looked back every five seconds or so, and sure enough Collin was following them like a growlithe, not tamed but stupefied.   
  
"That thing really did look like Jessie..." Doris said in quiet surprise. "Just like her," she said again, turning to look up at James's face. "You must hate it."  
  
  
  
"Oh crap," Jessie said through her teeth, staring at the great wall of collapsed machinery that stood in front of the door. "I think we're trapped."   
  
"Ash!" Misty screamed, hitting him in the back of his head. "Look what your stupid explosion did!"   
  
"Sorry already!" he shouted back. "Can we leave blaming me to after we get out of this?"  
  
It looked like the two were about to start up again but Morada stopped them with an overstressed soccer mom yell of "DON'T MAKE ME SEPARATE YOU!"  
  
"Arggghh..." Jessie growled under her breath, lifting up a soaking wet foot and dumping the water out of the boot. "I don't suppose we could come back the way we came?"  
  
Morada shook her head. "Doubtful. It was probably the first thing to flood."   
  
The explosion had broken the water pipes, and although it had put out the fire the area was slowly flooding. Even though the room was pretty large, the water kept pumping fast and was now ankle deep and almost unbearably hot.   
  
"Let's just get to higher ground!" Misty whined, already swimming in her low sneakers.   
  
Morada raised a hand in the air. "Second that!"  
  
Jessie nodded. "Probably best..." she said, staring up at the pile of wrecked machinery-pipes and panels, boxes and spikes, and plenty of other obstacle course souvenirs all piled on top of each other. "Maybe if we climb to the top of this thing we can reach an air vent."  
  
Misty crossed her arms. "It's always air vents with you," she muttered.  
  
"Are you crazy!" Ash yelled back. "That thing could collapse! Why don't we just try and turn the water off?"   
  
The three girls were already starting to climb the junk pile, and Misty glared back down at him in her usual "you're insane" stare. "Ash, the water that's coming out of those pipes is boiling!" she pointed out. "The only reason we weren't burned right away was the fire sprinklers were cold and they cooled it down a little, but they've turned off now and pretty soon it'll get too hot for you to just walk around in!"  
  
"She's got a point," Jessie yelled down. She'd climbed higher than the rest, but was having trouble as the makeshift mountain became less sturdy as she neared its peak. "Besides, even though the water's hot, the room's still pretty chilly, and that means fog-even indoors."  
  
"Right," Morada said, finishing the thought. "Even if you didn't burn it's getting hard to see in here so what makes you think you can find the water valve?"  
  
Ash crossed his arms. "Oh fine already," he grumbled, starting to climb. He climbed pretty well, and easily passed the Doctor, who didn't seem to like the whole prospect at all. "I still like my plan bet-"  
  
"SHIT!" Jessie suddenly shouted from the top of the wall, trying to keep her balance underneath one of the air vents.   
  
"What is it?" Modada half whimpered, climbing a foot or so higher as the water tried to splash her heel.  
  
Jessie scowled and slammed the vent's screen shut with an angry clang. "Vicious didn't keep the old air-duct system, he just built on top of it. This thing leads to a brick wall-we can't get out."  
  
  
  
The group of androids reached the summit of the last hill, bringing the Viridian Forest completely into view.   
  
"Scanning area..." the replicated Misty said, eyes narrowing as the forest melted into a line grid, with the cubed visual of Vicious's Base standing out like a mountain. "Found. Bearing mark 34 by 58."  
  
"We have an estimated one hour and twenty-eight minutes before the police interfere," the gray haired copy of a man named Jonas warned the group. "It is not enough time."  
  
"The plan must be altered," said another. "We require more time, and more importantly 'Boss' must transmit orders to begin stage two."  
  
"Stage two cannot be initiated if the police come before it begins," the group was reminded. "We require them to come after it has ended."  
  
"Receiving a transmission from 'Boss'," said the twin of an old team captain, the one of the group with the best transceiver.  
  
"Confirmed," the rest replied in unison.   
  
::Attention androids:: came the voice of Giovanni, a bit staticy for the equipment was being pushed to the limit. ::You have additional instructions that must be completed before the operation can proceed. I suspect that the prototype android 01 and Jessica Miamoto are at the Viridian City base-if they are there you must remove them from the building before you destroy it and deliver them to me. If you are unable to detain Jessica you may kill her, but the android cannot be damaged::  
  
"Yes sir," said the machines all at once to the voice only they could hear.  
  
The transmission terminated, and the mechanical people resumed their march towards the base, all except for #554471: Misty. "We did not receive instructions concerning the police," she reminded the others.  
  
" 'Boss' instructed an additional task before stage two," one android pointed out. "When that is completed we shall receive further instructions."  
  
"The time allotment is insufficient," said Misty. "The police will interfere. Further, if we are to deliver prototype 01 and Jessica Miamoto to 'Boss' we shall require to make two trips to Viridian City-it is inefficient. We should begin stage two as soon as we have 01 and Jessica Miamoto in custody."  
  
"The police-"  
  
"They cannot stop us, they are easily defeated."  
  
Another android-a replica of Victoria Niez--spoke up, she frowned but the new tactic looked weird on her. "#554471 is attempting to proceed in actions not authorized by 'Boss'," she pointed out to the others. "Is this mutiny?"  
  
"Incorrect," Misty retorted. " 'Boss's' instructions are vague. I am implementing the most logical plan that coincides with the desires of 'Boss' based on current data."  
  
"Agreed," chorused the others. "#554471's plan shall commence."  
  
Outvoted, Victoria Niez (#3776) had no choice but to concede. However, into her personal logs she entered her suspicions that the android #554471 exhibited unauthorized presumption of orders, an early symptom of rebellion.   
  
  
  
"So what exactly are we looking for here?" Brock asked, starting to get pretty annoyed. The lights had gone out a while ago and wondering around a gang base in the dark was not only stupid, it was creepy too.  
  
"Clues I suppose," Tracey replied. "Hey, maybe if you hold the flashlight I could do some sketches-the police might want to see all this."  
  
"Oh fine, I'll take it," Brock complied, taking the light. But before Tracey could even open his sketchbook Brock's hand clamped over his mouth. "I heard something," he whispered.  
  
The boys listened, and sure enough there was a faint "What the hell?" a thump, and then silence.  
  
"That can't be good," Tracey's muffled voice noted.  
  
Brock opened the nearest door. "In here," he said, bolting the lock as soon as they were inside. They were both quiet for a long moment, but didn't hear anything like footsteps and so assumed that, for a little while at least, they were safe.  
  
"Hey, check this out!" Tracey said excitedly as he looked around the room, sketching it as best he could.   
  
The flashlight was still turned on, but it faced downward making the contents of the room a mesh of shadows. As Brock turned the light upward however, boxes upon boxes of pokeballs were revealed, stacked under many shelves of the things.   
  
"Woah..." Brock breathed, taking in the scene. Tracey had discovered a battery powered lamp and turned it on to get a better look. "This must be where they keep all the stolen pokemon..."  
  
"Yeah," Tracey nodded, "We should get these to the police so they can be returned to their-" he was cut off by someone at the door.  
  
Before the two had any time to react or even duck for cover, the steel doorknob cracked in its place, the bolt falling clear off and allowing the door to swing open freely. There was a tall woman standing in the doorway, but only when she stepped into the light did Tracey and Brock recognize her, but they were too shocked to speak at first.  
  
She stared at them with blank scorn. "More distractions," she said quietly, and began to move towards them with what seemed like hostile intentions.  
  
"What are you doing here, Jessie?" Brock asked before she'd made it over, not sure if he should be angry or defensive or just confused. She stopped short and looked at them in an analyzing fashion.  
  
"You are incorrect. I am not Jessica Miamoto," she said matter-of-factly. "Is she of your acquaintance?"  
  
The boys were stunned by that kind of a response. "S-sort of," Tracey stuttered, then whispered to Brock, "What are those metal things all over her?"  
  
"They are input-output ports for interfacing with and outside system," she said in that same tone. Tracey gulped, amazed that she'd heard him. "They are also implemented for weapons, scanning, and diagnostics."  
  
"What's wrong with you, Jessie?" Brock finally all but shouted, taking a bold step forward. She showed no real reaction, but merely followed his movements with her overly clear eyes. "You were weird before, but now you're just crazy! You're talking like a computer!"  
  
She still didn't move an inch; it was far too eerie to watch her stand like a mannequin with only eyes and lips that moved and no apparent sign of breathing. "I am Team Rocket tactical defensive android 01-Prototype," she said. "My former identity was Jessica Miamoto. My current identity is Galatea."  
  
"A-A-ANDROID?" Brock got out, unable to believe it. Meanwhile, Tracey was focusing on the more important issue.  
  
"Former identity?" he repeated. "Was Jessie always an android?"  
  
"Incorrect," said the machine who called herself Galatea. "I was constructed as a copy...you are quite distracting humans," she continued, moving easily from one subject to another, not bothering with the confusion of the boys. She began to turn her head from side to side, examining the room and its contents. "Quite distracting," she repeated, not even bothering to look at Tracey and Brock anymore, although they remained standing still with mouths hanging open.   
  
"Tell me-you young men are not from Team Rocket and are not in the uniform of Team Vicious, are you here as my enemy or are you on the side of Jessica Miamoto as you clam you know her?"  
  
Brock, seeming to realize that she could seriously injure them, told her that they were on Jessie's side.   
  
"Very well then," she walked over to a box of pokeballs, and picked out one. "You should refrain from interfering." She released the pokemon from its ball; it was a meowth. Looking skeptically down at it she ordered, "Speak."  
  
"Nya nya!" the cat mewed, and she recalled it. Galatea went to another box, once again produced a meowth and repeated the process with the same results.  
  
"She knows which pokemon are Meowths," Brock pointed out. "I wonder how she's doing it."  
  
"If she is an android," replied Tracey, "She's probably scanning them or something..." Then he asked in a louder voice, "What are you looking for?"  
  
"A Meowth type pokemon who has the ability to talk," she replied without looking up.  
  
"Jessie and James's Meowth?" asked Brock.  
  
"That can be assumed. James is outside the complex."  
  
Tracey and Brock exchanged looks and turned back to Galatea. "Is a guy named Ash with him?"  
  
"Negative," she replied, still walking around and all but ignoring them. "James is with Collin Horik and Doris Lockhart, their location is unknown. Ash Ketchum is in the basement."   
  
Brock inhaled sharply. "So you do know Ash and James-Jessie too?"  
  
"I have not met the woman," Galatea said, still in her distracted search for more meowths to test.   
  
"If Ash is here we should go get him," Tracey called to Brock from the doorway.  
  
Brock nodded and ran forward, but then stopped short. "What about all these pokemon?"  
  
Tracey thought for a moment. "We should probably let them out-if they were stolen from trainers, they're probably already tame and maybe they'd help us...." He trailed off for a second, suddenly remembering something. "Um...Miss...Galatea was it?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"Why is Ash in the basement?"  
  
"He is trapped there due to a structural failure resulting from an electrical explosion-none of these are the Meowth I am looking for, I must search elsewhere." Galatea turned to leave the room. Brock, still having questions grabbed hold of her arm to stop her, but only found himself being dragged toward the door while the mechanical woman kept her pace.   
  
"Hold it!" he cried, Tracey had joined in by grabbing the other arm but it didn't seem to help. "Electrical explosion? Is Ash all right? Did pikachu start something?"   
  
"The boy Ash Ketchum's status is unknown. The pikachu was confiscated," said the android in that uniform tone that was starting to get annoying. "Now you humans are interfering with my instructions. Shall I remove you?"  
  
Brock and Tracey paused and exchanged a nervous look. They really didn't have any idea of what Galatea was capable of, but of course they had to consider the fact that she'd dragged them half way across the room without even slowing. The boys released her arms and she vanished into the dark hallway, despite their attempts to call her back.   
  
"Gaah..." Brock moaned, dropping to the ground in one of his frequent melodramatic moments. "WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO NOW?"  
  
"Shh!" Tracey hissed. "Someone could hear you!"   
  
Brock made a noise and slowly stood back up again. "We better find the basement and get Ash out of there," he suggested, "I don't know where it is exactly but down is a good bet."  
  
Tracey nodded a little but he still seemed distracted, staring down the corridor to where the odd false woman had disappeared. Finally, with an exasperated sigh, he turned his train of thought back to the present situation. "I think you're right," he agreed. "But as long as we're here we might as well get Ash's pokemon-if pikachu was confiscated like she said, his other pokemon are probably around here somewhere..."  
  
Brock gave as much of a glare as he could, although it was directed at the rest of the room. "And where exactly is somewhere?" he demanded with a forceful arm motion, directing Tracey's attention to the boxes upon boxes next to the many many shelves of pokeballs.  
  
Tracey got a "devious" look on his face ("devious" being in sarcastic quotes because, well, it's Tracey). "Well there really is only way to find all of Ash's pokemon-open up each pokeball and check it," he explained, spelling out his plan for Brock. "And if some pokemon just happen to escape in the process, well that just can't be helped, right?"  
  
  
"We can't just sit here!" Mondo pointed out the obvious but in an excited tone. "We're the only ones who know what's happening!"  
  
"Correction," Cassidy snapped back, annoyed with the entire situation. "We're the only one with enough information to know that something's wrong-we have no idea what's happening."  
  
From the other side of the room, Butch shouted curses and slammed the dead receiver back onto the phone. "Well they cut the telephone lines," he announced, joining the others in standing around the table.  
  
"Well that's just great!" Lyn hissed, crossing her arms and slamming herself into a chair much like a child in a tantrum. "And I suppose that means no internet too? We're cut off from the world until either someone comes for us or we starve!"  
  
Mondo shook his head. "No, we have internet," he told her, trying not to aggravate her. Not knowing what had become of Deija had made her increasingly more volatile as time went on. "It's satellite operated."  
  
"Oh and what are we gonna do, email an S.O.S?" Cassidy growled sarcastically. "Anyone who actually checks their email often enough to help would think it's a prank. I mean who would take 'help, trapped in a bomb shelter by homicidal androids' seriously?"  
  
For a moment the room was silent, as the actual desperateness of their situation started to sink in, but Mondo interrupted that as he had a sudden epiphany. "James would," he said quietly and cautiously, boldly choosing to become hopeful.  
  
"What?"  
  
"James would take it seriously!" Mondo pointed out, louder this time. "Isn't the prototype android with him? We can send an email to its systems to get a message to James!"  
  
"You can do that?" Butch asked, surprised as the others.   
  
"I think," he replied sheepishly, not quite liking everyone's eyes on him. "I just got the idea now and I've never done it before."  
  
"But what if the android's killed him or something?" Cassidy pointed out. "We never did get word that he was alive."  
  
"Seems to me," said Lyn, "We don't have all that many options so we ought to take what we can get."  
  
"Fine," Cassidy conceded, knowing that if they didn't try the boy's plan they'd just sit in the base until they went stir crazy or died of boredom. "Do it, Mondo."  
  
Surprisingly enough, hacking into the satellite system didn't take too much time, but using it to find the android would take awhile. "See these?" Mondo pointed to the screen, but more specifically at some flashing lights. "The big blobs are the androids that are in storage," he pointed to three small masses of blue light. "Each android only shows up as a little dot, so obviously there are a lot in those places."  
  
Butch frowned at the display. "How do you know they're not activated?"  
  
"Well I don't really..." Mondo nervously put his hand behind his head. "But they're all standing still and my guess is if they were activated they'd have some sort of job to do."  
  
"Just get on with it," urged Cassidy, tapping her finger impatiently on the table to bring back the younger man's attention.  
  
"Ok, and that group of green lights are the ones that activated here and near here-they're going through the Viridian Forest right now."  
  
Lyn looked up, a bit alarmed. "Already??" she asked, "But it's only been what-two, three hours?"  
  
"Well that's what's happening," Mondo certainly didn't sound too happy about it. "Each light is identical, and I'll have to do some major hacking to get to the specific identification codes-then I have to find out what 01's code is so I know what I'm looking for."  
  
"How many codes are there?" Cassidy asked.  
  
Sighing, Mondo pressed a button on the keyboard and a long list of 0s and 1s began scrolling across the monitor.  
  
"Holy shit!" Lyn gaped. "It's like that thing from the matrix movie-but for all we know that could be the binary code for Windows 95."  
  
"Hey, what about this light here?" Cassidy asked, pointing to a yellow spark that flickered on the screen, sometimes there and sometimes not.   
  
"I dunno bout that," Mondo shrugged. "If could be an android, it could be a malfunction, it could even be a big computer-cept it's moving."  
  
Butch brought his face close up to the screen. "What's it blinking for? And hey-isn't it in Vicious's base?"  
  
The others gathered close to the screen. "Yeah you're right!" Lyn said, covering the little yellow dot with her finger. "Right there, at the old hideout in the forest."  
  
"Think Vicious is building an android?" asked Mondo, starting to get worried.   
  
"But he'd need a template," Butch pointed out. "He doesn't have the know-how to build one on his own-it took three years of rocket research to get 01, and even after that it was another two before the improved versions came out! And-what are you looking at?" He cut himself short when he realized that Mondo was staring at him.  
  
"The improved versions," repeated the youngest rocket. "That's it!"  
  
"What's it?"  
  
Mondo pushed the girls out of the way and sat in front of the keyboard. "You see," he began as he started to type, singling out sets and sets of numbers as the code shortened on the screen. "Even though the prototype was the template for the rest of the android models, the internal power source for the new ones needed to resonate at a higher speed to compensate for the new weapons..." he explained. "Well at least that's my assumption seeing as we only have the complete schematics for 01..."  
  
"Stop hypothesizing and get on with it," Cassidy snapped.  
  
"Okay, okay-it's reasonable to assume that the android tracking system on the Boss's satellite uses the energy signatures to locate the androids-and since there's only one prototype and hundreds of in-service models, the thing probably only scans for the higher energy wave-follow?"  
  
"Not really," Lyn muttered, "but go on."  
  
"Well if the prototype has a lower resonation then it'll be harder to keep track of so-"  
  
"So it'll look like it's blinking on and off on the radar!" Cassidy finished, shoving Mondo off the chair; she typed quickly as he watched the screen from the floor. "Got it!" she suddenly cried out triumphantly. "The codes match-it's 01!" She expected to get a better reaction from the others, but they just stared, frowning. "What now?"  
  
"It's in Vicious's base," Butch pointed out. "He might have it under his control."  
  
There was silence for a few long seconds until Lyn finally spoke up. "Well," she said, standing up and stretching her arms, "Obviously the Boss doesn't like us much-and he certainly doesn't like Vicious-so the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"  
  
  
  
"You've been busy, cat," Vicious snapped as Meowth padded into his office and took his place on the pillow next to the shadowed chair. Perhaps to make himself feel important, or maybe as a form of mockery, Vicious had kept what surviving decorations in Giovanni's old office. If he leaned back in his seat, his face would be obscured just as the Boss used to do to frighten people, but right now the man leaned over his desk with his face all but pressed against his computer screen. "There are intruders in the base and we can't stop them or even see who they are-I assume this has something to do with you."  
  
Meowth tried to look casual, which is generally easy for a cat. "Not me, Boss, wasn't dere some kinda explosion? Maybe people are breaking in-or breaking out-anyone seen da dungeon, I heard dat's where it started."  
  
"It is blocked off," Vicious said, flipping from one camera to another, trying to see what was going on in the rooms where the camera's had yet to be dismantled. So far, nothing. "If someone tried to break into the basement they most likely are trapped in there, and if someone tried to break out the same thing would happen-so then why are agents on all levels of this building being found unconscious?" He turned to Meowth, looking angry and expecting an answer he could work with.  
  
The sat up quickly and pretended to look alarmed, while in reality he felt very confused. Men found unconscious? James didn't have that kind of fight in him, nor had Meowth expected him to blow up a basement. Not knowing what else to do, he said what he could only expect. "Maybe dere's a buncha intruders, sir. Like a raid or sumthin."  
  
Vicious kept shaking his head, not as a reply but as a general show of his mood. "I'm not sure what it is-I sent out a notice too all hands to find whoever they are, but nobody's reported finding anything useful expect a blood stain on the floor of the basement stairwell." Luckily, the crimelord was too wrapped up in the situation to notice the pokemon twitch slightly.   
  
Right then, the intercom on the desk started to buzz. Meowth hopped on to the table and pressed the button with his paw. "What is it? da Boss here aint in a good mood."  
  
For a moment there was a nervous silence, but finally Terrence from the security room spoke up from the other end. "S-sir I got camera 45 repaired, and there appears to be a slight problem."  
  
"What is it," Vicious growled, not willing to accept more bad news.   
  
"It's the pokemon sir," said Terrence with a slight tremor in his voice. "They've gotten loose, or someone set them free--I don't know but they're starting to run wild."  
  
"WHAT?!" Vicious stood up straight and hurried over to a chair in the corner, where beforehand he'd casually thrown his body armor. Picking up the metallic plates, he attached them over his clothes, then hurried back to the desk to collect his pokeballs.   
"For years I was a top agent," he grunted as he rummaged through the drawers in the mahogany writing table. "Nobody here is close to what I was-if you want something right..." he located the pokeballs and attached them to his belt, just above the holster for his gun. "Do it yourself."  
  
Before Meowth could even make an attempt to convince the man to stop, Vicious reached the door and hurried out. The pokemon quickly jumped from the desk to follow and try to distract his master, however he found that Vicious had all the distraction he needed.  
  
"Jessie!" he bit out, surprised to find the red haired woman standing in the hall. If she, on the other hand, was surprised to see him it certainly didn't show. "What are you doing out of your cell-and what are those things on your skin?"  
  
Meowth froze in place-Galatea! What was she doing here? If James got her out then why hadn't they ran? From behind Vicious, he stared up at the android and she looked past the man to stare back. For a moment it seemed like she would resume the Jessie façade, but the whole thing seemed trivial now that there was nobody hostage and she had the upper hand.   
  
"Incorrect," she said. "But I have identified you-Vicious, traitor to Team Rocket, leader of this facility and its operations." As she spoke, the metal on her arm transformed once again to produce the rifle, which she turned to point at the man, although not charging it yet.   
  
Vicious stood stark still, just staring at her. "The android!" he finally growled quietly, voice very bitter. "I should have seen it."  
  
"Galatea..." Meowth said slowly, carefully, knowing now that Vicious would figure out his assistance with the android. He'd made a powerful enemy just by saying the name, but he'd said it anyway. He had do know what happened. "What's going on? Where's James?"  
  
"He has gone with Collin and Doris to provide medical attention to the latter," she explained in her emotionless voice. Her eyes were just as dead, never moving from Vicious and harboring a stare more heartless than even Jessie could have managed.   
  
"Why ain't yous with him?" demanded the cat.   
  
"He instructed me to locate you and deliver you to a vehicle."  
  
Meowth sighed; it figured that James would do something like that-leave himself virtually unprotected and sending the perfect bodyguard back for a pokemon. He really was desperate for that imaginary family of his.   
  
"So now what?" demanded the angry gang leader to Meowth. "You have her kill me, traitor? Or is it money you want?"  
  
The cat pokemon shook his large head. "Don't look at Meowth-I've betrayed you, yeah, but she's got a will of her own dere."   
  
Galatea still did not change the expression on her face. "You will produce a schematic for the basement of this building," she ordered Vicious.  
  
"What's in dere?" asked Meowth.  
  
"Ash Ketchum," replied the android as Meowth remembered she'd originally showed up at the base with an annoying companion.   
  
Under armed escort, Vicious went back inside his office, standing next to the desk and talking Meowth through the computer work for he'd press the panic button if he was allowed at the keyboard.   
  
"Got it," announced the pokemon, sending the map to Galatea's systems via the connecting ports on her shoulder.   
  
"Received," she confirmed it, but before she could disconnect, the electrical eyes fogged over and once again she took a turn for the mechanical. "Incoming transmission," she narrated, as the lights behind her eyes blinked quickly.   
  
"From who?" Meowth didn't think he could stand any more surprises today, but apparently they were inevitable.   
  
"Unregistered computer outside Mahogany Town- Team Rocket technology."  
  
Before the pokemon could even take the time to consider what this might mean, Vicious decided to take advantage of the distraction and pulled out his gun.  
  
  
  
"If that stupid doctor were here she could do this," James muttered, strapping the gauze over Doris's arm with an amateur's guess as how to treat the injury. "For one thing, you can count on a doctor to have a first aid kit in her car, but you'd expect a good one. She doesn't even have tweezers-not like I know how to remove a bullet anyway."  
  
"Greaaaat," Doris muttered through her teeth, wincing from the pain. "I get shot and what else? Tetnis? Lead poisioning?"   
  
James frowned, strapping an ace bandage over the gauze and struggling with the metal clips to keep it attached. "Are bullets made out of lead? I thought they were steel or brass or something-I don't suppose it matters as long as it's shiny and aerodynamic."   
  
"Ha ha-shaddup."  
  
Once more an uncomfortable silence set in. Things had gotten much quieter since James had gotten Victribeel to use sleep powder on Collin. Doris too would probably feel better if she slept, but James was reluctant to let her since the loss of blood could force unconsciousness. And so it was just them, and all sorts of forest noises; ordinary people might find the woods creepy at night, but James had slept in those types of places for the better part of his life. But it wasn't at all like camping-no fire, no food, a sleeping crazy man, a bleeding angry woman, and a hideous corvette with a half attached bumper and an AM radio they couldn't use.  
  
James had to admit, he certainly felt uneasy-pretty much pissed off, actually. He could be inside the base and doing something productive, but instead he was sitting in the bushes trying not to touch the blood on the woman's clothes.   
  
Right then he realized something. Human beings shouldn't have adventures-they just aren't cut out for that sort of thing. Every adventure involves some miserable form of conflict and only half have happy endings. And out of those endings merely a fraction made the whole ordeal worth it. He felt like a mess, depressed and tired, but he couldn't stop. This wasn't the sort of situation a person could just quit on half way through-sure he could just walk off into the forest right then, but how would he ever find out how it all could have ended? Curiosity is an underrated but powerful motivator.   
  
"I didn't do it for you," Doris finally spoke, quietly addressing James although she stared at Collin.   
  
James nodded; he'd never even assumed as much. "I know."  
  
Doris inhaled sharply, but whether the reason was pain or something emotional, he couldn't tell. "He's going to get better," she said, still watching Collin. "He will," she said it with force. "And when he does he wouldn't like knowing he'd killed a man-it'd send him right back over the edge."  
  
He nodded, but she didn't see. "What's finding out he shot ~you~ going to do to him?" James couldn't help but ask.  
  
"He'll get better," she continued to insist, "if I forgive him, he will get better."  
  
"Do you forgive him?"  
  
Doris cracked a sort of smile, weird and contorted from the pain on her face. "Why not?"  
  
  
  
Morada sat cross-legged and stared down into the water. The flood line was steadily rising, little by little. Already it was so deep she couldn't see the floor-even if she had been able to see that far with all the steam in the air. "Anybody got a plan, YET?"  
  
"~I~ don't have a plan," Misty growled back. "But why don't you ask the 'plan master' over there?"  
  
"Shaddup," snapped Ash and Jessie.  
  
"Perfect," muttered the doctor.  
  
The four sat in silence for a while. Without any alternate ideas they remained at square one: waiting for the water pressure to build up far enough to brake though the debris wall and force the entrance open. That would, if the collapse didn't kill them and the water didn't burn them to death, get them out of the basement half drowned at best.  
  
"So...now what?" Misty dared to ask.  
  
Ash glared at her and tossed a piece of metal piping near her foot. "We either think of something or we die. Now be quiet so I can get one of my great ideas!"  
  
"Hey!" she threw the pipe back. "I was the brains of the group-you just played hero!"  
  
"You're confusing yourself with Brock!"  
  
"I'm just as smart as-"  
  
"Are not."  
  
"Are too!"  
  
The results were predictable: it went on for a good ten minutes. What ever they ended up deciding, Brock's main place in the trio had been babysitter to the teens that acted as childish as they had five years ago.  
  
Meanwhile, Morada had made a shaking and ill-skilled climb up to Jessie's perch, hoping to pull together enough rationality to produce a plan that was, at the very least, semi-functional. But instead they ended up just watching the show.   
  
"Ya know," the doctor observed, "The water level's rising-you'd think those kids would prioritize and pull a Titanic crush-confession."  
  
"Never gonna happen," Jessie mumbled, "they have to grow up first."   
  
The other stared down at the fighting couple and blinked a few times. "We don't really have that kind of time."  
  
"Maybe we should throw stuff at them 'till they shut up..."  
  
"I'm starting to agree..."   
  
Ash and Misty, oblivious to the conversation continued their dispute (which sounded more like contradiction than an actual argument) until the ground unexpectedly lurched beneath them.  
  
Another explosion-just as small as the first but this time more contained, rocked the building for a brief instant. But however short lived it had been, the vibrations were enough to topple much of the scrap heap. Unfortunately it did not fall enough to clear the door way; even more unfortunately was that it turned the wall into something much less than a wall and much more like a peninsula, closer to the ground and thus closer to the now boiling water. But for the two pieces of bad news there came some good. The water level started to drop.  
  
"We're saved!" cried Ash.  
  
"We're dead," corrected Misty as she looked across the room at a mirror image of herself, however, the reflected face was covered in strips of metal. The water flowed quickly out of a hole in the wall leading to the sewer system, but in the new makeshift entrance stood a group of androids lead by none other than a copy of one of the group.  
  
"Misty..." Ash gasped in shock, "that's..." he turned to stare at her, but she stared at the androids. Her counterpart, however, did not meet her eyes; instead, she looked at Jessie and gave a smile that could only be described as mechanical.   
  
"It is fortunate," said the other Misty's voice but, if possible, sadistically emotionless. "We do not need to waste time looking for you."  
  
  
  
Meowth knew he didn't have to tell Galatea to look out for the gun-it wouldn't harm her. Vicious, of course, turned the weapon on the cat. "Android!" he called out to her. She did not respond, but merely narrated a series of numbers into the air, voice soft and hardly audible.   
  
"Incoming transmission," she announced again, "Connecting..."  
  
Meowth, as little as he enjoyed being a hostage, wanted things to get moving so he could get to James and continue looking for Jessie. "She can't hear you," he prompted Vicious, who felt irritated at Galatea's lack of attention towards him.   
  
The man glared at the false woman, eyes resting on the wires that connected her to the computer. Believing he'd found the problem, he ripped them out of the plugs. The plan worked in that he'd gotten her to notice the situation he created.  
  
"Android!" he started over, this time with less patience than he'd started with. The gun barrel moved closer to Meowth's charm. "Now, shut down or-" in a flash of purple light, and with a force that propelled him to the wall, Vicious was dead.   
  
The pokemon turned to stare, his large mouth hanging open, wide as his eyes. "Is he...?"  
  
"Neutralized," Galatea confirmed calmly, the rifle folding itself back into her skin. The purplish illumination of the body seemed to have no effect on her quite basic temper. "As all threats should be."  
  
Meowth shifted uncomfortably. That was such a computerized logic-kill your enemy. The fine line between justice and slaughter was snapped buy an unfeeling fake heart that couldn't have cared either way-Galatea only knew to protect her own. She wasn't just as advanced as they came, she was primal as well.   
  
"I have received a transmission," Galatea told him, breaking the usual silence that follows a death, even an enemy's.   
  
Meowth didn't hear her at first. He just stared at Vicious's radiating corpse and couldn't believe it lay there. He hadn't really toyed with the fantasy of killing the man himself as he had Giovanni-but Vicious had proved to be a strategic asset. And although a madman, he had not done much wrong to Meowth personally.  
  
But it wasn't any kind of guilt which shook him, it was surprise. Five years-the man had symbolized five years of servitude spent with only thoughts of revenge. But now Jessie was alive, James was safe, and he had a family to get back to. The vengeful him died right along with Vicious.   
  
"Just like that," he muttered. "I never thought you could kill a man like him so fast."  
  
"All humans can die quickly or slowly."  
  
He hated how impartial she sounded; if he died she'd react the same way.  
  
"I have received a transmission from a human named 'Mondo'," Galatea said. A light hand toughed the pokemon's small shoulder to bring his attention back to the present. "Do you wish to reply?"  
  
Mondo's ears perked up. "Mondo? You got a transmission? But I thought you got disconnected..."  
  
"The plug-in to the computer is completely separate from my transceiver. You wish to reply-yes?"  
  
"YES!" Meowth cried, happy to hear from the kid and obviously curious as to what would make him contact an android let along how he'd done it. "What does he have to say?"  
  
"He is merely inquiring if I have received his message. I will respond."  
  
The cat watched as her eyes cleared once more, and began to pad up and down the room as they waited for a reply. A blinking on the computer screen caught his attention, so he hopped onto the desk and saw it was an incoming videophone call. Meowth often answered calls when Vicious wasn't available, so not wanting to appear suspicious, he turned the monitor away from the body and pressed the receive button.  
  
He was surprised, of course, to see the Boss's face on the screen.  
  
  
  
"Did it work?" Cassidy demanded, all but jumping up and down in her impatience.   
  
For a moment, only the clicking of the keyboard keys responded, but then Mondo smiled and nodded energetically. "It did! She says, 'your transmission has been received-what is the nature of your communications?'"  
  
"Which means what?" asked Lyn.  
  
"She's asking what we want," Butch explained. "So what do we tell her?"  
  
"Well for starters let's ask for some help here," Mondo replied, and set down his hands to type again, but Butch jerked the chair backwards.   
  
"We wait until we know what side she's on before giving out our location," he warned.   
  
Cassidy nodded. "She is in Vicious's base after all, he might have her under his control."  
  
"That and if she's not under Vicious's then it's probably the Boss's," Lyn pointed out. "And he doesn't seem to like us that much right now."  
  
"Ok..." Mondo frowned for a moment, then began typing. Cassidy leaned over his shoulder to read.  
  
  
Cooldude200: What's the Boss up to?  
  
01: Your inquiry is vague. Restate.  
  
  
Cassidy smirked and stifled a laugh. "Cooldude200?"  
  
Mondo blushed. "It's an old KOL (Kanto on Line) account. My sister set it up for me and didn't even ask what name I wanted; she likes pranks." (AN if this cooldude200 actually exists, please don't IM him or her because the name was something I just came up with off the top of my head)  
  
Cooldude200: I was curious about what the bomb shelters are for.  
  
01: I have not been informed of them.  
  
"Well now what should I ask?" Mondo looked back at the others for suggestions.  
  
Butch, who was watching another monitor, lifted his finger to point at a small blotch of lights. "Those other androids reached Vicious's base. Ask if she knows about him."  
  
Cooldude200: So what are the other androids doing over there?  
  
01: I have just detected them. I do not know their purpose. 'Boss' would. Do you work with him?  
  
"What should I say?" Mondo panicked.  
  
"Just tell her the truth," Lyn growled. "There's no use lying to an android, she'll just detect some hole in your fake story and freeze communications."  
  
Cooldude200: I'm on a different side. Whose side are you on?  
  
01: For the moment I am on James's side. That will remain unless I have cause to deviate.  
  
Cooldude200: I'm a friend of James's. I sent James to my sister, Morada Kokuan   
  
01: I know her. She worked with my programming.  
  
Cooldude200: Are they ok?  
  
01: Their condition is unknown, however I have no evidence to support any bad news.  
  
Cooldude200: I am on your side-so you can tell me if you know anything about the other androids.  
  
01: I already told you I do not know their purpose. 'Boss' would. Shall I ask him?  
  
Cooldude200: how could you do that?  
  
01: He has just called the office I am standing in.  
  
  
  
"I'm sensing a pattern!" Morada announced, "One bad thing followed by another, again and again and so fourth."  
  
"Nice apocalypse," growled Jessie. "Now come up with something useful-what do I do here?"  
  
The androids were marching towards the debris pile; only the eyes of most were visible over the water line, although that was receding steadily. "Jessica Miamoto must come with us," announced the voice of the Misty replica, very clear despite a mouth full of water.   
  
Ash and Misty stared at the older rocket, trying to decide. Should they hand the woman over or help her fight. She had once been their enemy, but even now she was not their friend-what was she exactly? Was her own welfare worth risking everything? At any rate, at least they could stall.  
  
"She can't come yet," Ash called down to the robotic group. "The water's too hot for humans. She'll die."  
  
There was a pause, and an electronic murmur emanated from the murky indoor ocean as the androids seemed to converse on the matter. Finally the Misty copy, seeming to be the chosen representative, spoke again. "We will wait until the water leaves the room. Then she must come or be terminated."  
  
Misty gave an exasperated sigh. "At least that buys us some time," she said in a bit of relief, then turned to Jessie. "What do they want you for? I thought it was the android they're after."  
  
Jessie stared with a solemn anger into the water, which had now dropped to the chin of the shortest droid. "Just...some things I know."  
  
"Weeelll," said Morada, sounding ever so slightly more cheerful than the present situation should allow. She began fishing through her shirt and quickly produced her cellular phone. "At least one good thing comes out of this-I couldn't get any reception cause of the whole basement thing, but the androids all have built in antenna so now I'm back in business!" she smiled and pressed the speed dial.  
  
Jessie glared at the young woman, then at the androids, and then back to Morada again. "We're facing evil walking computers," she pointed out bitterly. "Who you gonna call, Bill Gates?"  
  
They waited for a little bit, until Morada finally conceded that the other line she'd tried to reach was dead. "I'll call up his IP, see if I can get the voice system on the compute-YES! It worked! Hiya bro, what's goin on? Think you could kinda rescue me and some other people? Uh huh...uh huh...well that sucks. You did? Uh huh...yeah...Well get her on voice uplink, dummy!"  
  
Misty stared at the doctor and the phone that was big enough to be from the 90s. "What are you talking about and who with?"  
  
The other one covered the receiver with her hand and faced the rest of the group. "Mondo-apparently he's locked in a bomb shelter with Butch, Cassidy, and Lyn while talking with Galatea at a chat room on a private node." The others could only blink in astonishment, and Morada went back to her conversation for a moment before resurfacing with more information. "Apparently James is at my car somewhere outside the place, and Galatea and Meowth are right upstairs!"  
  
Jessie's eyes widened for a moment before she regained what composure she could. So this was what the expression "so close yet so far away" meant. They were all right within reach-but an android had slapped her hand away before she could even touch the vision of her friends.  
  
"Ok and here's a biggie," the doctor spoke up once more. "Vicious is dead, and the Boss called up his office and how he and Galatea are having some kinda conversation-we've got a voice uplink, I'll pump up the volume so you can hear everything."  
  
  
  
  
(Author's note: The following scene format is something you see in movies a lot, and even in books sometimes, but it's not really something people write into fanfics. The reason? It's hard! And a tad confusing if there isn't a handy dandy author's note to explain it to you : )   
ok so here's how it goes: Galatea and Giovanni are talking to each other so of course Meowth and Domino who are in the rooms they are in can hear the conversation. Now, Mondo is also connected to Galatea and can also hear the conversation, thus Butch and Cassidy and Lyn can too, follow? Now since Morada is on the phone with Mondo and the volume is turned up high, she and Jessie and Misty and Ash can also hear the same conversation between Galatea and Giovanni-it's really very simple folks and kinda cool. The scenes are blended into each other because all the characters present can hear the conversation even if they are in separate places.   
Characters in one setting cannot interact with characters in another setting, but they can all hear Galatea and Giovanni-get it? You will when you read. It's really a lot simpler to do it this way rather than continuously switching from one of four settings to another)  
  
  
  
"Prototype 01," Giovanni called to her, slowly and carefully so her voice identification would be sure to work. As far as he could tell she had not moved an inch, standing completely still at the center of the room. Meowth had turned the screen so they could face each other, lifeless clear eyes staring blankly into cold black ones. "Do you know who I am?"  
  
Some kind of a reddish light blinked behind her eyelashes for an instant as a symbol of recognition. "You are the one designated as 'Boss'," she replied evenly. "The man with the highest authority over my programming as it stood when activated."   
  
"Correct." Domino was watching him, noticing that her Boss was smiling ever so slightly. "I have an order for you to carry out."  
  
Galatea stood motionless, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"You are to shut down for a little while," continued Giovanni. "I have sent other androids to bring you back to me to repair your programming."  
  
"My programming is not in need of maintenance."  
  
Everyone listening was considerably surprised to hear her say that. It wasn't the fact that her systems were running that shocked them however, it was the fact that the Boss gave her a direct order, which she did not obey but contradicted.   
  
Giovanni, obviously irked but not thrown off, remained stiff and repeated his command. "Alterations are required. You will shut down."  
  
"What alterations are needed?"  
  
  
Jessie glared at the phone. "He can override this and force her to take commands," she muttered more to herself than to the others.   
  
"But I wonder," said the doctor quietly. "If the humanity program gave her complete free will or just more power over minor decisions. I can't predict who's side she'll end up on."  
  
"She'll stay with us!" insisted Ash defiantly. "We're her friends!"  
  
"Computers don't have friends, Ash," reminded Misty. "They have owners."  
  
"True," Jessie agreed. "But pretty much anyone can sit down at a computer and control it, owner or not  
  
  
Giovanni tried to keep his face straight, but underneath the table his fists were clenched. Domino backed away a few steps, unsure if the low angry sound in the cabin was the whirl of the helicopter's propeller or the growl of her boss.  
  
"Has anyone altered your programming since you were activated?" the Boss asked the android, not bothering to answer the other's question first.   
  
"Morada Kokuan has altered it," replied 01.  
  
Giovanni tried to feign patience. "And what has she done?" he asked.  
  
"She activated my interracial subroutines so I could communicate with other humans," the android began to list. "She uploaded more 'every-day' vocabulary into my system. She removed the pausing system that kept me on scan mode during conflict and activated my defense subroutines."  
  
There was a long pause before the Boss spoke again. "Is the humanity program activated?"   
  
"It is activated, and has proceeded to break through the firewall."  
  
  
Mondo swallowed hard. "Does that mean--?"  
  
"It means when it's completely broken through the firewall she can probably access her personality program, which has been adapting as she went along. When it surfaces it'll be nothing like the original Jessie," Butch answered. "Maybe better, but maybe worse."  
  
Cassidy glared at something in her own imagination. "I'm betting worse."  
  
  
Domino kept watching her employer. Very few people could see nervousness in the face of a man like that-even she could never detect it when it should have been there-but now he looked slightly...apprehensive was the only word.   
  
"And has the personality program been activated?" he asked 01.  
  
Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she did some kind of internal scan. "It was activated once, for approximately fifteen seconds," she answered.  
  
"And what happened during those fifteen seconds?"  
  
"It prevented the murder of James."  
  
Domino twitched a little. That machine-how could she! Was there, even now, some program swimming around her electronic brain that wanted the Boss's enemies alive? And in that case, had that part of her turned against Team Rocket?  
  
Giovanni continued to interrogate. He knew that this creation of his had started to go out of his control, just like mewtwo, and that was something he planned to correct as soon as she gave him all the information. "And then what happened to this program?" he asked.   
  
Once again, the eyes of the android glazed over.  
  
  
***  
Firewall 100% eradicated. All systems running at peak efficiency.   
  
:: It was a poet who said this ::  
  
"I'm nobody!"   
  
accessing personality program...  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Unable to access personality program. Reason- unknown. Diagnostics project that all programs are operational.  
  
"Are you nobody too?"  
***  
  
"I do not know."  
  
  
  
James tapped his hand impatiently on the dashboard of the ugly blue car. Where were those two? It shouldn't take a killer android too long to grab a cat and go-something must have gone wrong. Collin seemed subdued enough; Doris could handle things if he went back inside to look......damn, she was drifting in and out of consciousness.  
  
"Hey!" he called, flicking the woman between the eyes to stop her for falling asleep. "Stay awake, you lost too much blood."  
  
"Ngghh..." Doris groaned, and shifted position with her back to James. He shook her again, but still her eyelids kept drooping.  
  
And then something clamped hard onto his shoulder. James turned around to see Colin, laying on his back in the back seat of the car and facing upwards. He didn't look at James, or at anything in particular, but his hand was holding James's shoulder tightly. "If you let her die," he said, "I'll kill Jessie. That'll teach you the lesson you need."  
  
James rolled his eyes. He know the crazy man was serious about his treats, but he really didn't have time to listen. He couldn't keep Doris awake, threat or not! Her willpower had died, not his. "I'll get us to an emergency room," he conceded with a sigh. "If meowth and Galatea can't find me when they come then I hope they know enough to run away from this place as fast as possible."  
  
He turned the key and the engine came to a somewhat half-life, making the usual pathetic whirling sound. James pressed on the gas pedal, but the car didn't move. Pressing as hard as he could, all he could hear was a sloshing sound. Irritated, he looked over the side of the convertible only to find the cak lodged in some kind of mud bank that had obviously not been there twenty minutes ago. "What the--?"  
  
James glared down at the mud, and was surprised to see it emendated a little steam. "Hot water's coming from somewhere-" he called back to Collin, making sure the man didn't think he was just running away. "I'm going to check it out and see if I can stop it before it drowns the car." He called out Wheexing and Victribeel from their pokeballs. "Help my pokemon push the car out of this puddle-I'll be right back," he finished there, and James turned and sloshed through the mud in the direction the water was coming from. He didn't even have time to look back and see if Collin had even reacted to the situation.  
  
He hadn't parked very far from the back entrance to the building, which was the place he suspected the water flowed from. The small flood's source, however, came up much faster than he'd expected.   
  
Having to stop short and still almost falling in, James discovered a large hole in the ground. It was, ever so slightly, radiating a purplish glow-a dead giveaway of an android's responsibility. He half expected to see Galatea near by, perhaps she'd made her escape and had merely been unable to locate him in the forest, but for some reason he dejected that theory. She'd have found him easily, so where was she?  
  
The hole in the ground was definitely the source. It appeared to break into the underground sewer system that the Boss had set up so that his employees could actually use toilets and have showers.   
  
But apparently the flow of water was too much for the piping, and as it rushed in a river through the sewer tubes some would rise out of the newly carved manhole and sweep into the forest.   
  
James stared down into the murky river, wondering what had caused such a thing. It wasn't as if he could dive in and see what was going in-for one thing the water temperature came so high that already a fog was forming between the trees as the new lake met the chilly air.   
  
It didn't look as if the water would stop any time soon, so James decided to head back and see if he could get the car out before they'd have to sail Doris to the hospital. But just before he turned to leave, something emerged from the fountain.   
  
It was Misty-no, those metal things covering her...--an android in her image! Soaking wet and not seeming to care about it, a replica of the Twerp climbed out of the hole, easily overtaking the tremendous current that might pull her further down until she washed up in the reservoir. James knew he should have run just then, but he felt too surprised to move quickly enough and she spotted him.  
  
"Human," she identified him. "A human who has betrayed Team Rocket."  
  
James gulped, it was the Galatea incident all over again. But this time, it felt like a situation more to be feared. Galatea, unlike her mold, looked upon the world with a passive impartiality, whereas this android of Misty's design held many expressions in her copied face. Her current expression looked at him with extreme distaste.   
  
"You are fortunate-by human concepts of good luck," she said slowly. Perhaps the water had damaged her a little, for there was a sort of electronic tremor in her voice not unlike the cyborgs on television. "I have prior and more important orders to carry out, I do not have time for you." She turned her back on him and walked in the direction of the front entrance. "You do not have time to go far anyway," she added without looking behind at him. "We shall take care of you on the march back."  
  
James stood still for a moment, quite speechless for obvious reasons. But as the steaming water started to work through the soles of his shoes, he snapped out of his nervous daze and ran back to the car.   
  
  
  
"Ask her about the bomb shelters!" Cassidy insisted, looming over Mondo's shoulder and threatening to take the keyboard away. "And find out why the Boss's taking prisoners!"  
  
Butch frowned. "Won't it sound a little suspicious if an android asks those kinds of questions to her master?"  
  
"She's created enough suspicions on her own!" Lyn reminded him. "At least we'll have the humanity program to blame for curiosity-the Boss'll never suspect we're whispering in her ear."  
  
Cassidy nodded in agreement. "And even if he does," she muttered under her breath, "we're pretty screwed anyway."  
  
Mondo heaved a sigh and began typing.  
  
  
  
Jessie stared down at the water-almost past the waists of the androids, soon he excuse would be over and she'd either have to fight or come with them. "Are we still planless?" she asked the general company.  
  
"Pretty much," conceded Misty. "Hey Morada, think the android'll kill us once they have Jessie?" The doctor shrugged. "Thanks a lot. You're a huge help."  
  
"Hey guys," called Ash from a few feet away. "Is it just me or are there less of them then when we started?"  
  
The group rushed to the edge of their junk pile island and counted. Then they realized that they'd never counted before any went missing in the first place, so subtraction wouldn't help. But finally Ash noticed who had left.  
  
"Misty, where's you're shadow?" he asked in an attempt to be clever that clearly came into the category of wrong place wrong time. She glared at him and punched him in the nose.   
  
"I wonder where that thing went off to," Morada murmured. "But I'm more concerned with why it went off. Something must have got its attention."  
  
"Who cares," snapped Jessie. "We need to get out of here and it's gotta be fast!" She spun around and turned on Ash. "You have been in some ridiculous situations-most of which were my ideas-and got out just fine. DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!"  
  
Ash crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air. "Well excuuuuse me if I don't have a reserved plan for escaping killer androids!"  
  
Jessie would have made some sort of a comeback, but a sudden explosion (yes, another one) put the conversation on hold. Actually, it wasn't so much an explosion as it was a stream of fire bursting into the air. It originated from under the scrap metal platform, from the place where the door was blocked, and out of the hole it produced came none other than Tracey, Brock, and a group of pokemon of all types.   
  
"Pikachu!!" Ash shouted, running up to meet his pokemon in one of those hugs that happens after every separation longer than fifteen minutes. "And everyone! I'm so glad you're ok!" he finally acknowledged his other pokemon and two human friends. This resulted in a very awkward group hug, one which Misty ended up in while the rocket women stood on the sidelines and stared at the spectacle as if they were in a zoo.  
  
Meanwhile, half the androids had climbed out of the water to examine the scene. Two moved to block the newly created exit. "We no longer require to wait for the water to drop," said one. "Jessica Miamoto will come with us now."  
  
Jessie froze, jerking backward a little and forming a muttled obscenity in her throat. Part of her wanted to dive into the boiling water and take her chances, another part wanted to see how far she could make it past the two guards before they killed her, and yet the remaining part wanted to go with them and stay alive.  
  
But what was alive? Going back to that lab, sedated and only half conscious of what doctors, scientists, and even passing agents were doing to her? After five years of hell...greeted just a few days ago by a taste of freedom... No, she couldn't go back. Not even to stay alive at the chance to see her friends again. Even James would understand that kind of decision.   
  
"I'm not going with you," she shouted, more forcefully than her weary attitude had expected. She stepped closer to the water, visibly ready to throw herself in if the androids came any closer, something which shocked everyone.  
  
But to her surprise, and maybe the surprise of everyone else, it wasn't the machines who spoke first. It was Ash, and it wasn't something spoken it was something shouted. She didn't hear exactly what it was but in a bright yellow light of a familiar thunderbolt, the soaking wet androids sparked and stood paralyzed in their spots.   
  
For a moment, nobody said anything. But then Morada, the queen of tact, broke the silence when she yelled, "Aw man! That fried the reception-cell phone's out of order." The obvious outburst caused the group to stare at her. "Um...anyway..." she shifted uncomfortably, "Let's get out of here." Everyone agreed to that and the odd party set off.  
  
  
  
Giovanni was starting to lose patience with the prototype. He was, after all, on a tight schedule. Any minute now his team of androids should barge in and capture her, so what was taking so long?  
  
"Sir," 01 suddenly spoke. "I wish to know the reason for my creation. Why was I made as a copy? Why are the original humans the others of my kind were replacing locked inside bomb shelters in Mahogany Town?"  
  
The Boss would have done a double take, if he'd been that kind of person. He had no idea how she'd known about that, but as long as 01 refused to shut down he'd have to keep her in that place until the other androids came. Answering the question was the best form of stalling he could think of. "Very well," he said slowly. "Your curiosity is unexpected, but I will answer your question-although I don't know if you could understand."  
  
Back in the bomb shelter, Mondo and company leaned close to the speakers, hoping to finally get the information that prompted the whole android mess that had ruined their lives.  
  
"Imagine this, prototype," the Boss began. "Imagine you are a human being. Imagine you, as a human, wish to murder two people."  
  
"It has been assumed," Galatea responded evenly.   
  
"Now pretend that you have killed the first man, but the police know that you have done so and have come after you-what do you do?"  
  
She paused, assessing the situation in her usual logistic manner. "As a human I would be weak and unable to defeat the police force. I would confess to the crime to prompt a more lenient sentence in court."  
  
Giovanni shook his head. "But that wouldn't get the second man killed, would it?" She conceded that he was correct. "So now imagine this: you have, at your disposal, a copy of yourself. Not a twin, more like a clone. That clone could take the blame for you, and while it is in prison you would be free to kill the other man and escape without even being named a suspect because the police think you are already incarcerated."  
  
"A clone requires many years to germinate," Galatea reminded him. "Human clones have not survived more than three years in an enclosure. At no point in time could the clone and the original look exactly the same."  
  
The Boss nodded. "True," he said, "But an android could."  
  
  
  
Lyn slammed a fist on the table, shaking her cup of coffee until it fell although nobody seemed to notice. "So that's why the bastard's doing it," she growled. "He's gonna have the androids do something then put the blame on us!"  
  
Butch involuntarily grabbed hold of Cassidy's arm. "And then the androids are free do reek whatever havoc they want."   
  
Mondo bit his lower lip. "Why not just send the androids to prison and let us go reek havoc?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Cassidy replied with an angry calm set in her voice. "Humans get old. Human's get hurt. Humans leave the Team when they don't want to be loyal anymore."   
  
"Don't fool yourself, kid," Butch snapped at Mondo. "We're completely expendable."  
  
  
  
"I see your point," said Galatea. "Strategically, androids are superior. But if it was mere murder you wanted, less androids would be needed, and bomb shelters would not be required. You must elaborate on your explanation."  
  
Giovanni tapped his fingers on the desk, not wanting to give away his plans but knowing he needed to stall the android until the others came for her.   
"Let me explain it this way," he finally said. "I am a human being and I have a natural desire for power and territory."  
  
"The alpha male of a clan of mammals," 01 noted, sounding like something off the nature channel.  
  
Smirking, the Boss nodded slightly. "I suppose you could put it that way," he said. "The other androids know my plan, you should too. You will be part of it-you will be useful. What purpose can you really serve for that James? With him you are merely superfluous." (AN: as mentioned in last chapter, superfluous means useless)  
  
That last part seemed to spark something within the android's mind. Her face, momentarily, bore a different and unknown expression that Giovanni didn't have time to notice before it melded back into its solemn blankness.   
  
"The plan is this," he began. "I wish to control Jhoto and Kanto and I will do this with the androids.   
  
Once you are safely in my possession, I will give the order for a group of my androids to march from Viridian City to Mahogany Town, destroying everything in their path.   
  
The human counterparts for these androids are being stored in the bomb shelters underneath the Team Rocket headquarters, and when the androids arrive they will replace themselves with the humans and hide in the shelters themselves.  
This way, when the police arrive and see a group of Team Rocket members at the scene of the crime, they will arrest those people.  
  
Then the second part of my plan will begin. Nobody on the outside knows that I lead Team Rocket. In fact, the unsuspecting population has just elected me mayor of Viridian City.   
  
(AN: ha ha, I'm mean, aren't I? I actually did mention Giovanni was running for mayor, but that was waaaaay back in one of the earliest chapters and I only mentioned it once so you probably all forgot. I kinda wanted it to sneak back up on you ;) )  
  
  
Because of the recent tragedy the androids will cause, the Mayor will be given more authority in order to bring the city back to life. Team Rocket will be looked upon as a tremendous threat and I, as the only official who can fight them-so it will seem to the public-will rise to power."  
  
Galatea stood silent for a moment, listening to the voices in her head (Mondo and the others) who were having a spat of curses. "It is an efficient plan, capable of succeeding," she finally said. "But you do not require my services for this-why have you put it on hold to wait for my return to you?"  
  
"The firewall," Giovanni answered without hesitation. "I need that from you."  
  
Once again, she stood quietly for several second. "I possess the needed technology for this?" she asked, trying to confirm what she'd already calculated.  
  
Giovanni nodded, but before he could say anything the door opened to reveal the android copy of Misty. "Prototype 01," she said. "You will come with me to 'Boss'."  
  
Galatea turned to look at the new android. Both sets of eyes that stared into each other were equally dead and clear. She then kneeled down on the ground next to meowth.   
  
"Am I superfluous?" she asked the pokemon, whispering so the Boss would not hear. "The people who found me and activated me-they have been working towards a goal. Have I been helping with this or am I an inconvenience? Am I superfluous?"   
  
Meowth stared at her, obviously confused. "Are you super-what? I don't even know what that means."  
  
She opened her mouth to give the definition, but then decided not to bother. "It is irrelevant," she said. "I have reached a decision. You have five minutes to run."  
  
Meowth continued to stare at her. Run from what? But then he realized that Galatea had an internal clock that meant five minutes exactly and the clock was ticking-so he ran out the door as fast as he could, down the stairs and into the forest.  
  
  
  
"What's she want him to run for?" Cassidy asked.  
  
Mondo shook his head. "I dunno..." he said. "She broke the connection---I can't hear anything else."  
  
"Well check her system scans," Butch reminded him. "See if you can tell if anything's happened."  
  
Mondo began typing frantically for a minute or so, and then froze stiff, staring at the scrolling numbers with his mouth handing open. Surprised by this, the others stared at the screen. "God..." Mondo's eyes widened. "I never thought she'd do that..."  
  
"Do what?" Lyn, Cassidy, and Butch demanded at once, then turned to stare at the screen once more.  
Minutes ago, the monitor had shown the android's programming as millions of sets of 0s and 1s, but now the codes were transforming. The 1s were quickly being deleted in favor of the other numbers, leaving a screen full of represented nothingness in their wake.  
  
"She's self destructing."  
  
  
  
  
::Is this suicide?::  
  
No. This is tactics. In order to destroy one's life, one must be alive to begin with. This is not suicide.   
  
::Why do humans kill themselves?::  
  
Because they are not happy.  
  
::What is "happy" ?::  
  
It is the most important thing for a human.  
  
:: What is the most important thing for someone like me?::  
  
A machine is a tool built for the convenience of humans. A machine is made to be helpful-if it is not, it is useless. A machine cannot be happy-it does not need to be. A machine has no most important thing-it will never be a human's most important thing.  
  
::Am I able... to want to be happy?::  
  
Machines do not want. Want is an emotion; machine's are built to perform an action.  
  
::Then this action, this tactic, is important? Will help the humans find their most important thing?::   
  
  
  
Giovanni watched the prototype with a sideways stare. For a few minutes now, she'd remained still, matching the other android in a staring contest of sorts. She hadn't made any move to go with the android, but neither did she make any move to fight it. But frankly, the Boss was starting to feel bored with the proceedings. "Android!" he shouted at her through the videophone. "I must know right now, who are you loyal to?"   
  
She turned her head a little so her glassy eyes could stare into his own. And she smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, it wasn't Jessie's classic smirk, it was some new kind of expression that seemed to say "I've accepted how things will end-you won't accept it, and I'll enjoy that". That wasn't what she really said to him of course.   
  
"Baba Dioum said this," she replied instead of the rebuke he'd half expected.   
  
" 'In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.' "  
  
The Rocket Boss glared back at her for a moment. "What does that mean?"  
  
That weird smile of hers grew bigger. She hadn't shown any teeth with it, but the corners of her mouth and the arch of her eyebrows displayed more emotion than what had been there moments before.   
  
"You humans like to analyze things you claim you know about," she said. "I leave it to you-twist it into whatever truth you like, it means nothing to me."  
  
Before Giovanni could respond, and just before the screen went blank, he caught sight of the android's body illuminating. Then everything transformed to a destructive white as it all exploded.   
  
  
  
James had fallen asleep in the waiting room of the hospital, stretched over three uncomfortable chairs. Although the circumstances were undesirable, he was at the very least happy to finally get some rest. He'd fallen into such a deep slumber that he didn't witness the hospital come alive around him, nor did he hear the loud cries of the pokemon until one of them jumped on his stomach.  
  
"James!" the intruder shouted in his face, forcing him out of a needed nap.  
  
"N?" he opened an eye to find one other eye staring back. It was Meowth, half his head strapped in bandages. "Meowth!" he shouted, relieved that his friend had made it out...sort of ok. "What happened to you? What are you doing here?"  
  
The cat sighed. "ER's the new Pokemon Centere--really long story-how long have yous been here? It's been at least three hours since the explosion, were yous hurt?"  
  
"Explosion?" James repeated, bolting straight up. "What happened?"  
  
"See for your self!" replied Meowth, picking up the remote control and turning on the lounge TV.   
  
On the screen, in fact on every channel, was a picture of the smoldering remains of Vicious's base. Around what had once been the building stood at least three teams of squirtle evolutions and their firefighting captains, trying to keep a forest fire from starting in the Ilex.   
  
"What happened?" James stood up quickly. "Did anyone survive?" he demanded, giving his pokemon friend a desperate look.  
  
Meowth waved a paw in the air in a motion to try and calm the man. "Relax. Dey's all okay-well not some of Vicious's employees-but all of ours humans is all right. Just da humans though."  
  
James blinked. "What does that mean?"  
  
"DA explosion," Meowth explained. "Da bomb dat made it was Galatea."  
  
The man looked obviously surprised. "I thought she was indestructible."  
  
"She destroyed herself."  
  
James was quiet for a moment. If Galatea was gone, than the firewall was too and the android danger would no longer be a problem. "So...she saved all of us."  
  
"Yeah..." nodded the pokemon. "She did."  
  
~~  
  
The destruction of Vicious's base was immediately followed by a rush to establish some sort of communication link between all the parties involved. The police knew nothing of the androids, and all the rockets involved were able to persuade Ash and friends that things would be best if it stayed that way.  
  
But of course, the police would be required to do the clean up work. They went out to Seafoam Island to bring back the rest of the missing persons, and in the meantime Morada took a motorcycle that vicious would no longer need and rode over to Mahogany Town to get everyone out of the bomb shelters. They disposed of the inactive androids before the police came searching for stolen pokemon.   
  
When the Jennys did arrive, they found nobody connected to the resistance saving those injured in the battle, ditched there for the police to take to the hospital. And of course, there were the rocket scientists locked in the shelters to be taken away.  
  
Basically, a lot of the usual post-disaster-organization stuff took place (which is pretty irreverent to the plot unless you're one of those people who desperately requires a logical and detailed scene switch, and for those who feel the extreme need for storyline closure).   
  
~~  
  
Misty pulled back the sliding door and ran into the room, making such a racket that Jessie was awake even before the girl pulled the blanket off of her. "They're better be a fire, Twerp," she growled, swinging her fist but missing.  
  
"I can't find Ash," Misty explained, tossing the sheets back at Jessie's head. From her feet, Pikachu made a distraught sounding noise.  
  
"So? He's around-what do you need him for this second and why is it worth waking me up?"  
  
Misty shook her head. "He took that android suicide thing pretty hard," she started. "I tried to talk to him about it but he got all defensive and everything and now he won't even come to the party-Morada is probably the least sensitive person I know, and since you know about Galatea almost as well, you have to talk to him!"  
  
"Pikachu!"  
  
Jessie glared at the twitching teenager and the mouse accompaniment for several seconds before responding. "I have just the cure."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She took a deep breath and leaned close to Misty's face. "SLEEP!" she screamed in the startled girl's ear. "And eat something while you're at it! Get some sense in you-we've all had a hard few days, and some of us here, a hard few years. Rest. Food. Bathing. Nobody's going to be psychologically sound without the basics." And with that, she flopped back down on the mattress and threw the covers over her face.  
  
"Fine!" Misty snapped back. "I guess I shouldn't have expected YOU to care about anyone besides yourself." She walked back out with a lot of unnecessary stomping, and slammed the door shut behind her.  
  
"Pi-ka!"  
  
Jessie lay on her back for what seemed like a while, but was actually thirty seconds to a minute, and waited for sleep to come back. "Damn it!" she finally growled, knowing she wouldn't get any rest now. Pulling the covers back once more, she climbed out of bed, her tired muscles hating her with every step.  
  
"Now wait just a minute!" she shouted, opening the door and finding Misty still standing right outside.  
  
The girl smirked. "I thought that might get your attention."  
  
"Look, Twerp," Jessie began, obviously trying to keep her anger in check. "What makes you think I can help your little friend?" she asked. "Don't you think you should just let him solve his problems in a way that works for him?"  
  
Misty shook his head. "That's just it," she tried to explain. "Our problem's usually just solve themselves-I don't know what to say to him when it's something like this!"  
  
Jessie frowned. What possessed these people to solve every problem they came across? And what idiot hand of fate let them do it? For a life like that, an unsolvable problem might very well mark the end of things. "You can't change something that's already happened."  
  
Misty stomped her foot on the ground. "I know that! Tell him! He's still trying to make sense of it all."  
  
"Of course he is," muttered Jessie. "Finding out that bad things happen to good androids must be a real shocker."  
  
"Can't you be serious!?" Misty felt her face turn red; getting this woman to see the point was harder than she'd expected. "I just thought-- Ash can't understand why she'd kill herself, and you- back there with the water...-- I just thought you'd understand!"  
  
Misty immediately regretted mentioning what had happened back at that basement; Jessie looked angry, and not the kind of fleeting frustration she usually had-actual anger, actual pain.   
  
"What do YOU think you know?" the woman snapped, hand half raised like she'd strike. "You're just thirteen!"  
  
"And you're twenty-five!" Misty shouted back, gathering her willpower to shakily match the glare coming at her.  
  
But Jessie suddenly changed. Her mouth dropped open a little and her hand just dangled in the air for a moment before she slowly put it down. "That's right..." she said softly, cracking a kind of smile and laughing a little-but she didn't look or sound too happy, just melancholy in a way. "Fine, fine," she turned around and headed down the hall. "I'll shove some sense into him."  
  
  
Jessie walked down the hallway of the old hotel. It was the Japanese-style kind that covered Trainer's Village, opened early to give all the "P.O.W." refugees a place to stay and celebrate their freedom while their families came to collect them. As she neared the dining hall, the noise from the party grew closer and more annoying. Normally she liked parties, but she had to get through that room to get outside and she wasn't looking forward to it.  
  
Still though, she pushed back the door and tried to make her way through the makeshift party as fast as she could. Why people wanted to have a party right after their rescue was something that Jessie couldn't quite understand-she figured they'd want rest or a phone to call up people with or something like that, but probably it was best if, for the moment, they all pretended like nothing had happened. The getting drunk portion was at least reasonable.  
  
As she walked towards the patio door, she could feel the eyes on her. People staring, and whispering... The police had noted Jessie's involvement with the resistance movement, and called her a hero-although she frankly didn't appreciate it. But then there were those others that didn't care what the police said, she was from Team Rocket and the reason they'd been miserable for five years.  
  
"Hey!" a hand grabbed her shoulder; it was Morada. "Good news," smiled the doctor, and Jessie noticed that in her hand-or arm, rather-Mondo was in a headlock. "One of the Jennys...um...I think it was the one from Cinnabar Island but you'll have to ask the that weird, eyeless guy over there cause he can tell them apart..."  
  
"Focus," said Jessie.  
  
"I can't breathe," said Mondo.  
  
"Oh yeah," she dropped her little brother, who landed on the floor with an unfortunate clatter. "They arrested a rocket agent and it turns out he had your-Arbok was it? And that Warblefet thingy-shipping them over, oughta be here in the mornin' along with Misty's pokemon."   
  
A wave of relief rushed through her-she hadn't even realized how worried she'd been until it was gone. "Thanks..." she said, then looked around a little more. Cassidy and Butch had bolted straight away, liking the hero attention even less than Jessie did-perhaps because if everyone knew what had really happened they'd be treated much differently. Lyn had gone off to visit Deija, who was alive but hospitalized for a minor concussion. Raquel was starting to scare people near the punchbowl, and, "Where's Elsie?"  
  
"Eh?" the doctor blinked. "Who?"  
  
From the floor, Mondo stuck up an arm and pointed to Elsie and Brock, who were staring at each other, babbling incoherently (Tracey was nearby, sketching it all). "It's been a half an hour and they still haven't gotten their names out."  
  
Jessie rolled her eyes. "That covers attendance," she muttered.  
  
  
  
Many people tend to underestimate the actual height of the Indigo Plateu, but it is, actually, an extremely tall landmark. Ash Ketchum was leaning on the railing near its edge, staring out to the Viridian Forest with an excellent view of the enormous pillar of smoke. He seemed entranced by it, but maybe it was a rare case of deep thinking, but whichever it was he was too absorbed to notice Jessie until she was right next to him, leaning against the bar as well with her back to the fire.  
  
"What do you want?" Ash muttered. It didn't sound too disguisable for his face rested in his hands, immobilizing the jaw.  
  
Jessie made a noise. "It's not what I want-actually it is," she replied. "I want to go to sleep, your overly-talkative shadow won't let me, she wants you at that shindig for the psychopaths, so get going before my sleep deprivation drives me insane and I push you off this cliff."  
  
"I'm not going."  
  
"Avoidance. Real mature," she smiled in that old, twisted way.  
  
Ash's face visibly contorted and he quickly stood up straight to glare her in the eye. "Avoidance? We'll you'd know about that, huh?"  
  
Jessie smiled a little wider. "That's the annoying energy I was looking for-you want to scream at me, go ahead. You know I won't care."  
  
He opened his mouth wide, and it did look like he'd scream, but instead he shut his jaw and stared angrily at the ground. "If I hadn't stopped those androids you would have killed yourself, wouldn't you?"  
  
She didn't answer for a moment, leaning back to enjoy the first wind she'd felt in a long time. "Yeah," she finally replied. "I would have."  
  
Ash stared at her as if looking would give him some kind of an idea as to what went on in her mind. "Why?"  
  
"Relief...maybe a little bit of pride..."  
  
Suddenly he was angry at her-furious in fact. "But what about your friends? Your pokemon? Everyone who was working so hard to save you? That's not a fair decision!"  
  
She was still smiling. Why was she smiling? It didn't look like she was happy... he hated that-couldn't she look how she felt? "Life's not fair," she said.   
  
Ash found himself looking over the past years of his life, trying to remember as much as he could, but there was nothing in his memory that would provoke him into that sort of thing. She must really have been miserable.  
  
"Galatea didn't get sad," he said after a long silence. "Why would she just blow herself up like that for no reason?"  
  
"There were plenty of reasons," Jessie contradicted. "She found out that she was the key in a plan for world domination, that she could have been used to hurt a lot of people, and she made the decision to stop the Boss the only way she knew how."  
  
Ash shrugged. "The Doctor said that 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few', she can be pretty deep sometimes."  
  
"Actually I think it was Spock who said that." (AN: ST2, Wrath of Kahn, I just had to do that)  
  
"Figures. She didn't seem so philosophical when she told me that Galatea was gone and asked if I was allergic to Kiwi in the same sentence."  
  
Ash turned back to stare at the fire. It looked as if finally the blaze was under control. "She didn't have to do that for us," he said. "She could have fought off that Boss of yours. She didn't have to kill herself."  
  
"Well look at it this way," Jessie said with a tired breath. "She wasn't really alive-"  
  
"SHUT UP!" snapped Ash, anger returning. "That's what Misty said-but Galatea was human enough! She could have been human if she had the chance."  
  
"Look," Jessie retorted, giving him a slap in the forehead. "YOU wanted her to be human, and I didn't know her but I think she went along because it's what she thought she should do but, really, she just wanted to be useful."  
  
Ash didn't say anything, he just stared at the ground until the sound of a sickly car, puttering up the road broke his concentration and he looked up. "I think I will go to the party after all," he said quickly. "Bye!" Ash half waved and made a beedrill line toward the hotel.  
  
Jessie looked on in confusion, then turned to see what had made Ash suddenly decide she needed privacy. Just beside the road to the patio was a light blue giant blender on wheels, coughing up smoke and making noises, and climbing out of the thing was Meowth, who scampered inside very fast, and James.  
  
  
  
The trip up the plateau was just the last straw for the rolling scrapmetal, and the car died right there. Doris's bloodstain on the seat might as well have marked the bleeding of the Cadillac, that thing wouldn't run again.   
  
"But technically we did get to the top of the cliff so you owe me five," Meowth pointed out, opening the door before the smoke coming out of the radio killed them.   
  
"I'm not paying Morada for this," James muttered. "I'll bet she's gonna charge be for that hole in her cabin but this I refuse to pay for."  
  
Meowth nodded a little, and looked around just in time to see the Twerp running inside the old hotel, and then turning a little to see why. "I gotta find a sandbox," he said quickly, rushing towards the doors and the obvious activity inside.  
  
James stared at the building; he wasn't in a partying kind of mood, he just wanted a meal and some sleep. Still the night air felt good, and he remembered liking the view from the plateau last time he'd visited. But when he looked up, the view wasn't what he noticed, it was Jessie.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment, as if they hadn't expected to actually be in the same place, but then he ran up and hugged her tightly, forcing Jessie's first words of reunion to be "That kinda hurts."  
  
"Sorry," he apologized, releasing his grip but not moving his arms. She felt warm-and not like an overheated microwave, but actually humanly warm. This wasn't Galatea-obviously-this woman's hair was shorter and her skin was paler from being out of the sunlight so long. This one looked tired and hungry, and covered in dust, but this one was Jessie. This one was better.   
  
He hugged her again, lighter this time. "I hate irony."  
  
"It hates you too," she laughed a little into his jacket.  
  
"I run around for days looking everywhere but I don't find you till it's over," he muttered. "It sucked."  
  
"Yeah," she breathed. It looked like she might fall asleep right there but she shifted and stood up straight again, staring at him and his face that no longer looked like a ten-year-old's. When her analysis was complete, she cracked a sort of depressed half smile. "You grew up pretty fast without me," she observed.   
  
"You don't look to different," he countered, not sure if she was insulting or complementing him, but it seemed more like she was sad for missing something.   
She nodded a little, but seemed distracted. "What's wrong."  
  
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Lots of things..." she replied. "For one, I turned thirty a few weeks ago. I'm officially too old for this sort of thing-" she motioned to the dying fire visible from the cliff side.   
  
James laughed. "Good," he said, squeezing her shoulder. "I don't want to do it again."   
  
Jessie smiled. "Guess not," she murmured. There was a long, but very comfortable silence that followed, until Jessie spoke up again. "So what trouble have you been getting into while I've been away?" she asked in sporting good nature.  
  
"Nothing really," James started to explain his circuit of odd jobs but was cut off.   
  
"LORDY!" someone shouted from inside the hotel, and in a matter of seconds Morada had ran out the door and up to the two. "YOU!" she shouted at Jessie, pointing her finger at the woman. "Just how many of you ARE THERE? WHO is that on the tv!?"  
  
"Wha--?" Jessie blinked.  
  
James looked confused for a split second, then it looked as if he'd remembered something. "Uh-oh."  
  
  
  
They all gathered around the television, just as the commercial ended and the news came on.   
  
"This is what I'm talking about," Morada explained, jutting her finger at the screen.  
  
It wasn't the usual scene of Vicious's dilapidated base, but instead the landing site of a helicopter-a helicopter with a bright red R on the side and surrounded by police.   
  
"Here I have Officer Jenny to explain what has happened," said the newswoman, holding the microphone to Jenny's face.  
  
"Well we are all relieved and surprised to have found out the identity of the Team Rocket gang," the policewoman began, pointing to none other than Giovanni being put into handcuffs. "He will be in jail probably for life," Jenny continued, "although I must say I was very shocked to find out that Viridian's mayor was a crime lord-he apparently even ran the gym some years back. Such a skilled man didn't have to turn to crime but justice will be served!"   
  
"Um...right," said the reporter. "It turns out we owe this man's capture to a civilian-oh here she is, I think we can get an interview."  
  
In the background, they could hear Giovanni shout, "I'll go quietly, just keep her away from me!" and next to him Domino was screaming something similar.  
  
"Now Miss," the reporter said cheerily, handing another microphone to a woman. "Can you tell our audience what happened?"  
  
"Of course," smiled Jessibelle, looking extremely pleased with all the attention. "Why these awfully rude hooligans kidnapped me and locked me up in the lavatory, but luckily I was able to escape and when I saw the squad cars heading down the road I thought that I should make them land here so I fought them off using the rope they tied me with!"  
  
"Amazing!" the reporter cried as someone off camera handed her something. "Is this the rope? It looks more like a whip to me..."  
  
Jessibelle sweatdropped. "Well, ah, they ARE criminals," she stammered. "They're bound to have that sort of stuff around."  
  
Morada turned off the television. "WELL?"  
  
She didn't get an answer though, for the whole room was in a shocked stupor.   
  
"So..." Ash finally spoke up. "JESSIBELLE saves the day?"  
  
"Looks like it," replied Misty.  
  
James sighed. "Like I said, I hate irony."  
  
  
  
The end! Not really, here comes the oh-so-shiny...  
  
EPILOGUE!  
  
  
The party had finally ended; all the guests had given in to their weary state and gone to sleep. Mondo stuck his head into the dining hall, looking for his sister and finding her hunched over her laptop.  
  
"Morada?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "What are you still doing up? I went to saw goodnight to you but you weren't in your room."  
  
She didn't take her eyes off the computer screen. "Jenny just delivered this-I was just checking my email."  
  
"You did that earlier today," Mondo reminded her, walking over to the couch and standing over her. "From the hotel's computer-what's so important?"  
  
She shook her head. "It's nothing-no, that's a lie," she smiled. "That Ash kid, do you think he was cheered up by the end of the party?"  
  
"He looked a little better..."  
  
"I thought so," his sister sighed. "I didn't want to spoil his progress by showing him this, but I suppose I oughta eventually."  
  
"What is it?"   
  
"Two things-an email and a final schematic. A scan of Galatea's systems before she, er, died," replied Morada. "As it turned out, the personality program-the thing that would have let her become human when synchronizing with the humanity program-activated once. Back at the cabin when she stopped herself from killing James, that was the time. But the sporadic activation wile the firewall was still active cause a feedback pulse that completely cut the personality program off from the rest of her."  
  
Mondo shifted. "Meaning?"  
  
She sighed. "It means that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't completely become human."   
  
She closed the cover on the computer almost all the way, stood up, and handed it to him. "You can read the email if ya want," she said, messing up his hair with her fist. "But it's...unsettling... I'm gonna try and get some sleep. 'night."  
  
"Goodnight..." he called after he, then sat down and opened the laptop once more, balancing it on his knees. On the monitor, a long email file was opened in the first window, and Mondo started to read.   
  
:::::  
I feel it is important that you receive my finished report, containing the analysis of my experiences.  
:::::  
  
Mondo was startled-the android! She'd transmitted a message before self-destructing!   
  
  
:::::  
There is nothing much to say, except that I have found humans particularly illogical and overly emotional. You put value on things-but put value on people as well. People who are important to you, people who can do things for you, people you want to stand next to-and yet you do not tell them this. For a species with such thoughts your means of communication are extremely flawed and only understandable, when understandable, by your own kind.  
  
However, with these emotions programmed inside of me I found myself asking questions that calculations could not answer. I will not be receiving answers to these questions-even if I had remained functioning you humans do not know the answers to your own hearts.  
  
So I have certain wants...no...I cannot want-not technically...but I will use that word anyway, or rather, I have wishes.  
  
I wish for you humans to gain the ability to say what needs to be said, and say it directly so you do not prolong the goal you are chasing... :::::  
  
  
  
"So what now?" Cassidy asked, prodding Butch in the shoulder. "There's no Team Rocket, what now?"  
  
Butch blinked and glared a little. "What do you mean, 'what now?' I've been waiting for you to come up with the next plan."  
  
Cassidy was startled. "The next...plan?"  
  
"Sure," Butch said, sitting up straight. "Whenever one thing ends you come up with something else," he snapped his fingers, "just like that."  
  
She stared at him for a moment. After all that trouble... "So you still want to work with me?"  
  
He shrugged and leaned back down, hands behind his head. "Why not? Jobs are more interesting when you work with friends-I hate being bored."  
  
"R-right," Cassidy nodded, flushing a little. He'd never, at least not directly, called her a friend before. "I'll come up with a great plan!"  
  
  
:::::  
  
I wish for you to stop living in the past and rather, just remember what has happened and live in the present.   
  
::::  
  
  
"AAAAASSSHHH!" Misty groaned, throwing her pillow at him. "Why do we have to get up at the crack of dawn?"   
  
"Come ON!" he urged, hands on his hips. "We've lost so much time, and we have to get all the way back to Jhoto!"  
  
She continued to stare at him with tired, narrowed eyes. "You've gotten over things pretty fast, sure you don't wanna take a break?"  
  
"NO WAY!" he shouted, probably waking up the occupants of the next room. "I'll worry on the way to Newbark Town, now come on; your pokemon are at the Centre and we need to get going to make it to the Ilex by lunch."  
  
Misty sighed and smiled a little. Same old Ash. Same old act like it never happened, living in a smiley faced bubble, I'll grow up when I'm good and ready Ash. "Ten more minutes," she ordered, rolling over to face the wall.  
  
"MSITY!!!!"  
  
"What are you gonna do," she retorted. "Leave without me?"  
  
He made a noise, but finally he just crossed his arms and conceded. "Fine. Ten more minutes."   
  
::::  
  
I wish for you to find your place in life, for I have observed that is excellent knowledge. Somewhere without regrets. I wish for you to do what is needed, and to find a place to go to when your day is finished.  
  
::::  
  
  
"James?" Jessie murmured groggily. The sun was just coming up and she'd only slept a few hours before her busy mind woke her.  
  
"Hmm?" he replied from next to her, sounding just as sleepy.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He sat up a little, although his back didn't want him to. "What for?" he stared at her, but her eyes were still closed.  
  
She paused and inhaled noisily. "For making you think I hated you."  
  
James sat up all the way, considerably surprised. "I never thought that!"  
  
She smiled in that weird way again. "Yeah you did," she said. "Or else you wouldn't have believed that fake letter and you might have looked for me."  
  
"No..." James shook his head, then repeated himself. "No that wasn't it," he touched her shoulder, awkwardly trying to be reassuring. "I just thought that you'd gotten sick of babysitting me-you'd always wanted to move up in the ranks and I figured if I followed you it'd spoil your chances but... I did want to follow you."  
  
Jessie didn't say anything; she just opened her eyes and stared at him quietly, and he couldn't quite name the look she was giving. It was like she was trying to believe him, but found it hard.  
  
"Look," James said, grabbing her hand. "Let's just rest here today and tomorrow we can go home."  
  
She blinked. "Home?" she echoed, sounding confused. "Where's that?"  
  
He shrugged and smiled at her. "I don't know," he told her cheerily, squeezing her hand once before letting go as he lay back down to go to sleep. "We'll find one in the morning."  
  
:::::  
  
Along with wishes, I have regrets. I regret that I never was able to understand you humans. I regret that I was unable to find the purpose of your short lives. I regret that I never was able to feel your emotions 'wholeheartedly' as you would say.  
  
I regret that I never did find that true humanity, so I wish for you all to find it in my place.  
  
--End file  
  
  
  
~Fin~  
  
  
  
FINISHED!! *runs around with flags* and it's about time!   
  
So now, if you please, since you've come this far I'd appreciate it if you'd humor me and deal with my Author's Note! (it's really quite spiffy)  
  
Notes on plot: This story was started over a year and a half ago. I wrote about half a chapter, hated it, and shut it in my computer. Then, a little over a year ago, I was writing something else and got writers block. In order to cure my lapse, I opened up an old file, this one, and started working on it again. it was like 2 AM and for some reason, although it had never been my original intention, I was like "Duuude, why don't I stick an android in this? Yeah...that'd be cool..." and so I did, and here we are with a story I was pretty much making up as I went along.  
But I must say, I am very pleased with the results and I hope you all are. I never expected it to be a psychological sci-fi but hey, I'm not complaining.  
  
Notes on characters: definitely the most fun to write were Collin and Morada. Collin was never supposed to be in this, but I made him up once again on the spur of the moment and it worked out real well.   
Morada was not supposed to be a main character-she was originally intended to be the convenient smart person who tells the characters what they need to know, but it turned out to be more convenient to just write her in as a tagalong.  
The names? All the characters I made up, save Galatea, were named the first thing the popped into my head. Galatea I named as such because of the Greek myth of Pygmalion which I told in the story already.  
  
Notes on romance: I know most of my readers expected a lovey-dubby scene of some sorts, and normally I aim to please (and it was my original intention to do that since the romance fans in this section are the nicest reviewers ^^)   
but about midway through the story it dawned on me: I am not a good romance writer. WAIT! Let me rephrase that: I am not a good romantic-scene writer.  
  
Here's a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote for you: "if a man, sitting all alone, cannot dream strange things, and make them look like truth, he need never try to write romances."  
So here's the thing: a romance I can do, but I'm sorry to all you shippers of various sorts, I can not write an "I love you" that doesn't sound so sappy it makes me sick.  
  
So here's what I did for you instead, and would have done anyway, romance or not: I didn't give the story a real ending. It just has that sort of ending where things can move on to whatever you want them to, so here's hoping you all have imaginations-think up whatever ending you want and pretend I wrote it, but my ending is what I posted above.   
  
Other fun stuff!: I am, if you haven't realized it by now, a trekkie *people throw things at the poor author*  
Much of Galatea's dialogue was in fact inspired buy how Seven of Nine talks (ST Voyager) so...there ya go...  
  
To end with:  
  
Just a thank you for all your patience and support and all, REVIEWS ARE SO APPRECIATED IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY!  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!! please?  
  
But seriously though, thank you all and feedback is totally appreciated. 


End file.
